Let There Be Demons
by myownmind
Summary: Poltergeist: the Legacy, Supernatural and The Unit crossover. While on a hunt the Winchester brothers come upon an injured motorist. Does he know more than he should? Will he be a help or hindrance?
1. Chapter 1

_I do not own the characters from Poltergeist: the Legacy, Supernatural, or The Unit. I do borrow them from time to time and then send them back. I am not making any money on it nor am I trying to infringe on anyone's rights. _

_AN 1. Nick Boyle is from Poltergeist: the Legacy, Sam and Dean Winchester are obviously from Supernatural. The Unit members will show up later on._

_AN 2. I'm having fun throwing different people together to find out what happens. If you like what I've done and would like to see more, please let me know!_

_Susanne_

It was going to be one of those days Nick Boyle thought to himself. All ready running late, his alarm hadn't gone off, now he was stuck behind an old man in an old car doing 15 mph.

Derek's going to kill me. The Legacy precept was waiting for him. The streets were busy or so they seemed to be because of the foot of snow that had fallen overnight slowing everyone down. Cursing under his breath, Nick tried to keep from letting his anger get the best of him.

Why did it always happen that they had a case in some far removed town in the middle of the biggest storm of the century? Shaking his head, Nick smiled. That must be one of Newton's laws.

The old man in the sedan tried to stop for a red light but continued right on through to the middle of the intersection. Horns blared as cars coming from the other directions tried to avoid the skidding vehicle. Behind the old man, Nick pumped his brakes in an attempt to prevent another accident.

The car coming from the right slid sideways on the snow and ice but managed to stop just short of the sedan. The car on the left wasn't so lucky. It caught the front end of the sedan causing them both to spin into the other car. The resulting crash was somewhat deadened by the falling snow but it was rather impressive anyway.

Gritting his teeth, Nick tried to will his Mustang to stop. Feet slipped by before the ex Navy Seal managed to get complete control. A quick glance in his rear-view mirror, however, squashed his sense of accomplishment.

The four cars that had been following him careened forward. Despite having his foot on the break Nick's car was pushed forward into the intersection.

Cars were everywhere. This could get really bad, Nick thought as he pulled on the steering wheel in an attempt to get out of the direction line of fire. No such luck. By the time cars, trucks and SUV's had finished impacting Nick's neck and shoulders were aching and his car was across the intersection sitting halfway up on the curb. The front and back bumper were crumpled as was the driver side door from a side impact.

"Damn it," Nick swore under his breath. He took a moment to take stock. Derek was waiting for him in a cabin ten miles out of town. There was no way the Mustang was going to make it that far. Sirens blared as the two police cruisers that patrolled the town pulled up.

Minutes ticked by as the general chaos was slowly reduced by the officers, two ambulances and the only two tow trucks in town. Nick had to slide to the passenger side to get out. He didn't want to take the chance that the workers would damage his car further by forcing the door.

"Are you all right?" the young officer asked. He'd been making his way from car to car to check for injuries.

"A little whiplash but I'm okay," Nick replied massaging his right shoulder with his left hand.

"I'm going to get the paramedics to check you over, just in case," the officer said. "Wait here by your vehicle until they can get to you."

"I'm actually in kind of a hurry," Nick interjected before the man could leave.

"Yeah, so is everyone else, sir," the officer sighed. "We'll get you out of here ASAP."

"Thanks." As far as Nick could tell his only injuries were his neck and shoulder. But he realized he couldn't go anywhere until his car was dealt with. Sighing, Nick sat down on the passenger seat and prepared to wait.

Three hours later, the storm hadn't let up much. Silently, Nick cursed under his breath as the car the garage owner had lent him slipped on the dense snow. This car had front wheel drive but was actually harder to drive because of its unfamiliar quarks. Nick was very used to driving multiple vehicles but this one seemed to have a tendency to pull and slide to the right.

The Mustang was at the garage with all the other vehicles involved in the accident. Tony, the garage owner, had quoted two weeks to get the parts and fix his car. Not sure they'd still be here in two weeks, Nick asked him to do it ASAP. Under normal circumstances the ex Navy Seal would prefer to do the repairs on his vintage car himself. There were not normal circumstances, however.

The road Nick was following was deserted. The shoulders were nonexistent because of the trees that closed in on both sides. The road itself was gravel which had saved Nick's butt at least three times so far. But he knew his luck maybe running out. The passenger side wheels lost their trip. Before Nick had a chance to react, the car was spinning toward the tree line. He wrestled with the steering wheel. Nick knew to not touch the brake but even shifting the car into neutral became a herculean task. Then it didn't matter. Nick was knocked unconscious by the forced of the impact as the passenger side of the car crumpled.

The first thing Nick became aware of was the searing pain through his temple. This was followed shortly by the cold and other pains. Other wounds and bruises were making themselves known. Groaning, Nick forced his eyes open to check out the damage. Another groan escaped as his eyes adjusted to the light.

The car was demolished. The passenger side was pushed into the driver's side by the massive tree trunks he'd slid into. His right leg was caught between the console and the seat, effectively pinning him.

"Damn it," the ex Navy Seal swore. Absently, Nick wiped at the blood trickling down his face from a cut beside his left eyebrow. Now what?

It appeared from the position of the sun in the sky that Nick had been unconscious for quite some time. Checking his watch confirmed that 10 hours had passed. Mild surprise registered in his foggy mind. By now he would have expected Derek to come looking for him. Blinking against the bright light, Nick looked out his side window.

Light bounced off the fresh, white snow that covered the road, dazzling Nick. Tears sprang to his eyes, unbidden. I must have one hell of a concussion, Nick thought to himself. Shaking his head to clear some of the cobwebs, Nick ignored the faint spray of blood from his head wound as he looked again. The situation had not improved. There were no tracks in the snow indicating that no other vehicle had passed. No help was coming.

"Damn it," Nick swore again. Frustrated, he tried to pull his right leg free. Pain exploded taking his breath away. Darkness filled his vision then he felt nothing.

"Is he alive?" The voice was muffled and hard to hear. In Nick's subconscious mind he knew that it wasn't the first voice that he'd heard.

"Hard to tell," was the muffled response. Metal shrieked. Startled, Nick forced himself awake to blink at the dark forms outside his window.

A groan escaped as their efforts shifted the metal pinning Nick's leg.

"This isn't going to work, Sammy," the first voice stated.

"Get a crowbar. We can't just leave him here, it's getting dark," the second voice stated. Both voices were male but Nick couldn't make out details.

"Hey," the second voice called. "What's your name?"

"Nick," the word came out barely above a whisper. There was no way the man on the other side of the window could hear him. Nick's lips were dry and cracked from dehydration and cold. His mouth felt like it was full of cotton balls. There was no way he could speak louder. Marshalling his strength, Nick pulled the door release and pushed with his shoulder.

Pain flashed from Nick's leg to his hip and into his chest. Desperate, Nick ignored it as he felt the other man begin pulling as well. He knew what was in these woods at night. So far he'd been lucky that he hadn't been found unconscious and helpless by the predators that made this forest home. The ex Seal had no intention of pushing that luck.

The car frame was twisted. Initially the door didn't budge despite the other man having returned with a crowbar. After 2 minutes, Nick had to stop. Darkness was tingeing his sight as more blood flowed from his leg wound. The two men continued to fight with the door and with each other until the one with the crowbar lost his patience.

"You in the car, cover your head. I'm breaking the window," he instructed. Nick covered his head as best he could.

Glass shattered on the third try, showering Nick as cold air blew into the compartment.

"How bad is it?" the taller one asked as he reached in through the window. His cool fingers checked Nick's carotid pulse. Nick seemed to remember the man being called Sam.

"My leg's stuck and probably broken. I have at least a mild concussion. The rest I'm not too sure about." Nick tried to make his voice loud enough to be heard but a terrible lethargy was taking over his body. Hypothermia was another distinct possibility.

"How long have you been here?" The injured man's skin was cool to the touch. He was clearly exhibiting signs of exposure.

"Last night," Nick responded. Sam reached around Nick's torso and examined the twisted metal that gripped his leg. The other man stood within reach but still out of the way, allowing Sam to work.

"What's your name?" Sam asked. He hadn't heard the man's response earlier and he was trying to keep him engaged. The head wound had stopped bleeding but not before drenching the man's shirt and jacket on that side. The denim covering his trapped leg was similarly coated. How he'd managed to stay conscious and alive despite his blood loss was beyond Sam.

"Nick Boyle." It was getting harder to talk. Nick's eye lids kept closing of their own volition and the cold no longer felt so cold. The ex Seal knew he was in trouble.

"Well, Nick, we'll have you out of here in a jiffy," Sam said before turning to his companion.

"Are you lying?" the other man asked.

"No." The response was quick but didn't hold a lot of conviction. "Try using the crowbar. I think if you wedge it underneath and force it up we may be able to get Nick free."

"It's worth a try," the other man growled.

The voices were getting very dim as the dark hole Nick had fallen into became deeper and deeper. Pain ripped through his leg and hip. Nick fought against the urge to rise out of the dark. He didn't want to face the pain and cold he knew lurked in the light. Pain flashed again. Low moans came out of the light. Dimly, Nick became aware that the moans were coming from his own mouth.


	2. Chapter 2

"Be careful, Dean," Sam said to his brother. "He's in bad enough shape as it is."

"We don't have time to be gentle, Sam. We don't want to be here when it gets dark." Dean's voice became strained as he heaved once again on the pry bar.

Plastic and metal groaned as it began to give way. Nick moaned as pressure momentarily increased but otherwise he showed no signs of coming around. With one last heave, Dean used the last of his strength to force the car up and away. Sam caught hold of Nick and pulled.

Sam nearly fell on his butt in the snow, Nick came out so easily. Dean extracted the crowbar and turned toward his brother. "Now what, Dr. Kildare?"

"Check the car to see if anything useful survived then help me get him to the car," Sam instructed. He had Nick sprawled on the snow while he examined the older man's leg. Luckily Sam was wearing a scarf. He used it as a tourniquet. The wound on Nick's leg was below the knee. A long gash to the bone in places that had begun to bleed again with the jostling they'd subjected him to. Sam was surprised at how heavy the smaller man actually was. He was obviously in very good shape and had a high muscle mass.

Dean returned with a beat up brown leather bag, and a canvas bag thrown over his right shoulder. His face carefully neutral, Dean got hold of Nick's legs.

"I don't think it's broken but be careful just in case," Sam warned. Their charge was still very unconscious but moans and groans slipped out as the Winchester brothers carried him to Dean's black Impala.

"Yes, mother," Dean growled. It was one thing to get slimmed by a ghost or other supernatural creature. It was quite another to get another human's blood all over his hands. It kind of grossed the elder Winchester out, especially when it was cold and sticky. If Dean had been alone hunting the creatures in this area, he may not have stopped to check the car. But then, knowing what he knew, he probably would have.

As carefully as the two men could manage, they put Nick in the backseat of the car. Sam slid in beside him to do what he could. Dean dropped Nick's bag into the trunk and pulled a blanket out.

"Here," Dean said, offering it to his brother before getting behind the wheel and starting up the car. "Where to?"

"The motel I guess. Unless you want to try to find a hospital, he needs a blood transfusion," Sam said from the back seat. Before Dean could respond the car slid sideways sending Sam slamming against the back of the driver's seat. "Whoa!"

Dean grunted as he fought the steering wheel to get control. Sam braced himself between the front and back seat, trying to keep Nick from sliding around too much.

After several breathless moments, the elder Winchester managed to wrench the black Impala back onto the road without damaging it. "Sorry about that," Dean threw over his shoulder.

"Are we going to make it back to the motel?" Sam asked. Dark clouds had rolled in and snow had begun to fall with abandon. The road ahead was beginning to disappear. If it wasn't for the trees lining it, Dean couldn't have distinguished it from its surroundings. Visibility was quickly reducing to zero.

"Maybe," was the only response Dean could think of giving. While he concentrated on keeping the car on the road, his mind sorted through the various structures in the area for one that would keep them all safe and preferably warm. The man in the back seat wasn't going to survive much longer in his wet clothes. The heat from the car was melting the blood staining his pants and shirt. This had all been a really bad idea. Dean hated snow. Now he remembered why.

"Maybe isn't good enough, Dean." Sam tried to keep the irritation out of his voice. He knew his brother was doing his best. However, Dean was not the one trying to hold this man's leg together and keep him from haemorrhaging.

"I'm working on it," Dean hissed back. The car slid sideways again causing Sam to brace himself again. Dean had to fight the steering wheel again. "Damn it!"

"Dean?" Sam was watching the trees move closer and closer to the side of the car. He trusted his older brother implicitly but needed to something, anything. He was suddenly feeling nervous. As Dean said, they didn't have time for this. All ready the world was becoming perceptively darker. The sun had begun its descent behind the tree tops.

"I know!" Dean shot back. At the last moment, he pulled the car out of its skit and managed to wrestle it back onto the road. "We're going to have to find shelter for the night until this blows over."

"Any suggestions?" Sam didn't relish the idea but with the survival kits in the car they wouldn't starve or freeze.

"Yeah, I think so. Hold on, this may be a little tense," Dean tossed over his shoulder.

Half an hour later, the black Impala pulled up to an abandoned farmhouse. The house's exterior was weathered wood and rock. Most of the windows appeared to be intact and the stone chimney was reasonably whole. Dean pulled the car into a dilapidated out building. He left it running with Sam and Nick inside while he checked out the house.

"Where are we?" Nick managed. He'd come around a few moments ago and had taken this long to get enough energy to ask the question.

"We couldn't make it back to town. The roads are too bad," Sam replied. He was relieved to see his charge awake. Anxiously, he glanced out the back window toward the house worried about his brother.

"Water?" Nick's mouth felt like the Sahara desert. He knew he was dehydrated and hoped desperately that these two had some form of liquid.

"Yeah, definitely." Sam reached under the passenger seat and produced a water bottle. He had to shuffle up a bit but he got up to Nick's head. Sam used one hand to prop his head up while the other brought the bottle to Nick's lips. It killed the fiercely independent ex Seal to be helped by a stranger but the water was most welcome. Nick drank nearly half of it before his stomach heaved and he had to stop.

"Thank you," Nick said, his voice sounding stronger.

"We're at an old farm house. Dean's inside starting a fire and making sure it's secure," Sam explained.

In the window above his head, Nick could see the sky between two of the boards. It was almost dark. "We need to get inside," he rasped. Fear spiked through his system. This was not good.


	3. Chapter 3

"I know," Sam replied. "Dean will be back any time then we'll get you settled."

"I should be in a hospital." The pain from Nick's head, legs and other injuries was curiously remote. He had a feeling that that wasn't going to last long once they started moving him.

"Yes, I know." Sam tried to keep the irritation out of his voice. Worry for Dean was making him irritable as was the whole situation. "If we could we'd take you there."

Relief flowed through Sam. There was Dean at the side door, bracing against the wind and swirling snow. Dean made his way back toward the car.

The driver's door opened, emitting cold and swirling snowflakes. Dean reached in and turned the car off. "Ready?"

"Any time," Sam responded. All ready at Nick's head, Sam waited for Dean to carefully take his legs and then his knees when Nick sent immediately white. As gingerly as they could in the blizzard conditions, the Winchesters trekked through the snow drifts to the nearest door. Darkness had nearly descended. The interior of the house was even darker. Dean led his younger brother to the living room and the crackling fire without incident.

In the dim light from the fireplace, Sam made out a couch that had seen better days along with other scattered items. In the fireplace something that looked suspiciously like a chair leg was merrily burning away.

Dean helped Sam set Nick on the couch and then he headed back outside in the failing light. They were going to need stuff from the car if they were going to survive the night.

Barely conscious, Nick was partially aware of Sam shifting the couch closer to the fire. A particularly strong jolt as the couch leg caught on an uneven floor board sent radiations of pain through his head and leg. Sucking breath between clenched teeth, Nick fought to remain conscious.

Oblivious, Sam moved the couch the last few inches until he was satisfied that Nick was as close as he safely could get. Behind the younger Winchester, the window rattled faintly in the wind. A small bank of snow grew in the window's farthest corner.

Sam's breath fogged every time he took a breath. Ignoring the cold, he knelt down beside Nick now that he wasn't crumpled in the back seat. Immediately Sam noticed how pale Nick was and how cold to the touch. And yet a cold sweat had broken out on Nick's forehead. Sam paused to glance out the window to see where Dean was before turning his attention to Nick's pants leg.

Out of the back of Sam's pants, he pulled out a sheathed knife. Taking the cover off, Sam quickly split the denim to get a better look at Nick's wound. Beneath Sam's chilled fingers he could feel Nick's muscles tighten under his ministrations. It kind of gave him the willies. "Sorry," the youngest Winchester mumbled.

Unable to bear the searing pain any longer, Nick grabbed hold of the couch back with one hand and the ratty cushion with the other. His eyes were tightly closed and his teeth ground to keep from screaming.

Dean came back into the living room and ditched several bags. Before anything else, he used a large bag of salt to pour lines of the white crystal across every threshold. Satisfied, Dean caught up the first aid kit and headed over to his brother.

"Thanks," Sam said as he accepted the metal box. "Can you get me a little more light?"

"Sure." In a matter of moments Dean had a propane lantern lit and held it over their charge. "That any better?"

"Yes, thanks." Sam instantly lost himself in cleaning the jagged gash as best he could. Within two minutes Nick lost his battle and slipped into oblivion. There was only so much a body could take.

"Do you know what you're doing, little brother?" Dean asked as he watched. Sam poked and prodded in his ministrations.

"No. Does it really matter?" Sam shot back. He really wasn't in the mood.

"We don't need him suing our asses," Dean responded.

"Nice, Dean," Sam muttered. As ugly as the jagged gash was at least it was currently clean. Cautiously, Sam untied the tourniquet to see how badly it was bleeding. With bated breath he waited half expecting blood to come squirting out like a Monty Python movie. Seconds ticked by as a small pool of blood began to gather at one end of the gash. Happy that Nick wasn't going to bleed out, Sam caught up the sterile need and sure out of the kit. Lastly, he pulled out the needle driver and then he began to sew.

"That's disgusting, dude." Nick couldn't help himself. They usually went to the hospital when they were injured. He had no idea his brother could do this without hurling. "You've been watching too much ER."

"At least I pay attention when they sew me up. Do you think the salt will work?" Sam was trying to distract his sarcastic brother. His hand shook enough without the extra scrutiny.

"Probably not but it doesn't hurt to try. I'm going to go pull the doors off some of the rooms to use as barricades." Dean set the lamp down on the broad couch arm. He grabbed a hammer and crowbar from one of the bags and headed into the gloom.

"Even that may not help us." Sam looked out the window at the darkness beyond. A shiver travelled up his spine. In the lilac hedge that surrounded the building he could have sworn he saw yellow eyes looking back at him.

"Do you have any crosses?" Nick asked weakly. He'd been awake during part of the surgery but had managed to stay still and quiet while Sam finished. The inexperienced young man had been nervous enough all ready.


	4. Chapter 4

_Just a quick note. Firstly, thank you to everyone who's taken the time to review. I really appreciate it! _

_Secondly, I don't know much about supernatural creatures and rites and stuff. Hopefully this isn't too farfetched. It just made me happy when I came up with the ideas!_

_Susanne_

"Yeah, I do have crosses but I don't think they'll help," Sam replied, trying to keep the surprise out of his voice. He was shocked that the older man was awake and apparently aware of the peril they were in.

"We need one on each point of the compass, North, West, East, South," Nick murmured. Despite the danger he was in, now that Sam had wrapped a sleeping bag around him and he was starting to feel a bit warmer, it was becoming very hard to stay awake.

"Sure, why not," Sam stated. Anything to improve their chances of surviving the night was welcome. He left the struggling Nick to rummage through the bag. Within a few minutes he had a crucifix nailed to the walls in each of the directions Nick had told him.

"Whose idea was that?" Dean asked when he entered the room, dragging a door.

"His," was all Sam would say as he took the door and propped it against the front door. To his left he heard a faint scratching sound. Cautiously he moved to the side of the nearest window and peered out. At first Sam didn't see anything but darkness. Then two inches away from his face yellow eyes appeared and bore into him from the other side of the glass. The hate and blood lust emanating from those yellow depths was enough to stop the youngest Winchester cold. A loud screech issued from the creature as it was joined by others.

"Get down!" Dean yelled a fraction of a second too late as three of the creatures smashed through the window intent on ripping Sam's throat out.

A large piece of glass grazed Sam's left cheek, cutting into the delicate skin over his cheek bone. The flash of pain brought him back to himself. Instinctively, Sam turned away and tried to drop and scuttle. In his haste, Sam was slightly overbalanced and his head crossed the threshold that the glass used to protect.

Cackling maniacally, the creature caught hold of Sam's hair and pulled him further out of the window. New claws caught hold of him. To Dean it felt like time had slowed to a crawl. He could see what was about to happen but he was powerless to stop it. Instantly he was in motion.

"Sam!" Dean was all ready charging toward his brother but he was a moment too late. Sharp, needle like teeth sank into Sam's left shoulder and where his right shoulder and his neck joined. A scream of pain and surprise was ripped out of the youngest Winchester as he desperately tried to get away. Claws ripped through his shirt, caught hold of his hair and were even trying to find hand holds with his ears as the demons tried to pull him through the smashed window. They couldn't come in but they could sure pull him out.

Ignoring the pain and blood, Dean got hold of Sam's arms and pulled with all his strength. It wasn't enough. More of the creatures joined the tug of war while Sam writhed in pain. Just as Dean felt his brother begin to slip through his fingers, a loud report sounded behind him. One of the creatures shrieked and fell back. More shots rang out and more of the creatures backed off or fell dead. With a final heave, Dean pulled an almost insensate Sam back into the house.

Breathing heavily, Dean pulled his taller brother over to the fire. As he moved he glanced up at their saviour. Propped against the couch arm, Nick was visibly shaking with exhaustion, a gun clutched in both hands. He was well versed on how to use weapons and he was an excellent shot but he just didn't have the strength to hold the gun steady without both his hands.

"Thanks," Dean said as he pulled Sam's shredded jacket away from the wounds to get a better look. Sam's breath hitched in his throat as he rode the waves of pain radiating from his shoulders. His eyes were tightly shut as he tried to keep from screaming with each breath. Dean paused in his ministrations long enough to glance out the window. Yellow eyes winked on and off indicating that there were at least 20 of the things. A sigh of relief passed through him as the elder Winchester realized that they still could not cross the threshold. In the brief struggle, the line of salt had been disturbed but they were still being held outside.

"The crosses won't hold them forever. Eventually they'll find places to wiggle through the barrier. How is he?" Nick asked. His body desperately wanted to sink down onto the couch and pass into oblivion. His military training had taken hold and was keeping him alert despite the cost.

"Bad," as all Dean would say. He was using the torn pieces of his brother's shirt to try to staunch the blood flow. He'd all ready seen enough blood for one day.

"Take the gun," Nick ordered as he carefully lowered his protesting body to the ground and shuffled over to Sam. His brother was doing his best but was clearly unnerved. Besides, Nick wasn't sure how long he was going to be able to hold the semi automatic 9mm much less aim and shoot accurately.

"He's my brother," Dean stated as he hesitantly moved out of Nick's way.

"You can protect him better than I can at the moment," Nick persisted. He quickly assessed the young man's injuries while studiously ignoring his own. The one compromise he was forced to make was to leave his injured right leg straight out beside him. It had stiffened up and didn't like to be bent.

With one eye on the windows and doors, Dean kept the gun safety off as he watched the older man work on his brother.

"Do you have any holy water?" Nick asked. He didn't bother to look up at the other man, he was too intent on his examination. The bite marks were deep but his biggest concern was how dirty demon mouths were. All ready Sam was beginning to show signs of fever in reaction to infection. There were also scratches on his face, arms, chest, back and head from the demons trying to pull him outside.

Something thumped against Nick's left arm. In the dim light from the fire and lantern, Nick saw Dean offering him a canteen. "Holy water," the younger man stated. In his hand he had a sawed off shotgun, the 9mm was tucked into the waist band of his jeans.

"Thanks." As quickly as he could, Nick poured the water over each of the wounds. The water bubbled like hydrogen peroxide as it drew the poison out. Under his fingers, Nick could feel the young man's muscles flinching as low moans escaped his lips. When Nick reached his shoulder and neck wounds it was all he could do to in his weakened state to hold Sam down as the unconscious man bucked in writhed in pain.

If Dean hadn't known that this was necessary, he would have been beating the crap out of the older man. If Dean had ever met Nick when he was at 100 percent, he wouldn't have been so sure he could take the slightly shorter man. The elder Winchester split his attention between his brother and the various points of entry to the room.

After what seemed like a lifetime to Dean as he watched his brother trembled and moan Nick finally stopped. Nick was satisfied that the wounds were as clean as he was going to get them. He then used the first aid kit still sitting beside the couch to put bandages on the worse injuries and band aids on the others that needed them.

"Do you have any regular water?" the ex Navy Seal had found extra strength Tylenol and wanted to try to get some down Sam as well as take some himself. Nick reminded him of a younger version of his father. He assumed it had to do with military training he seemed to have.

Still keeping an eye on the windows, Dean moved over to the pile of supplies and pulled out two bottles of water. Beyond the window panes yellow eyes continued to wink on and off. They were eerily similar to demonic fireflies.

"They look like the demon on those Nicorette commercials," Dean muttered to himself. Absently he handed the older man the water bottles. In all his years of hunting Dean couldn't remember ever seeing so many demons in one place, even very minor ones like these ones.

Beyond the demons snow continued to fall heavily. The wind had picked up a little further reducing visibility. Dean could only make out the lilac hedge as a deeper dark within the greater darkness. The whiteness of the snow made the creatures visible however. The ground almost seemed to seethe with the number of bodies between the house and the hedge. As he watched, feeling a little helpless, a light flashed from the hedge followed by the report of an automatic file. "What the hell?" Dean muttered.


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N: Thank you to everyone who's taking the time to review. I'm very happy that you're enjoying this. Mostly I think it's an excuse to beat the crap out of people but hopefully it'll evolve to more than just that!_

_Again, please excuse my lack of knowledge about the supernatural. As always, I hope this makes sense._

_Susanne_

Two of the demons disintegrated amid blood and bone. More lights flashed along the hedge. In total Dean counted three separate rifles obliterating the demons.

With great skill the three marksmen created kill zone that led up to the front door of the house. Their intent was to create a path. Dean wasn't sure whether that idea thrilled him or not. He was heavily armed himself but nothing compared to what these people appeared to have.

"Shit," Dean swore under his breath. The first person materialized from the hedge and sprinted toward the door. Dean had the presence of mind to move the door propped against the front door and open it. He didn't want these people inside but he didn't want the door broken either. The man barrelled towards him. In the dark it was hard to make out anything about the person except he was about Dean's height and muscular.

A second shape disengaged itself from the hedge and raced for the door. The second person was taller and larger. Fear burned in Dean's stomach. These men could be some country hicks out to do the Deliverance thing. However, the way they carried themselves and the precision of their moments indicated military. That in itself may be a very bad thing. Dean was a wanted man.

The first figure burst into the room and then hitched up against the wall between the door and the window. His rifle was clutched in both hands and held securely against his chest. The man was breathing hard.

"Thanks," he managed. In the dim light Dean took in his jeans and parka. If he was military, he wasn't in uniform. The boots, however, were military issue. Damn.

The second man pelted into the room and took up position on the other side of the window from Dean. The tall black man assessed their situation in a glance. He turned toward the window and motioned the third man to come in. During the entire procedure the third man had continued to shoot demons, one after another while never seeming to miss a shot. Dean had to admit to himself he was impressed with the man's accuracy while using an automatic.

The third man broke cover and headed for the house. He'd made a pretty big dent in the number of creatures at the front and side of the house but others were quickly flowing in to fill the voids. The ground, still deep in snow, was now covered in blood and guts. For the most part the man was able to avoid the mess but on the steps there was no other choice. He took them two at a time, the demons surging in behind him.

The other two men were silently covering him, picking off the ones that got too close as they could. He was on the last step before the top of the stair when he foot slipped in the gore. Lightning quick reflexes weren't enough to keep him from losing his balance and falling on the hard wood. In his tumble he landed on his right should and cracked his left knee. Before the man had a chance to get up three of the demons launched themselves at his back.

His companions took two of the demons out and winged the third one sending it off course. Tumbling it connected with the back of his head but didn't get a claw hold. The man pushed himself to his knees and crossed the distance to the door. Strong hands caught hold of his jacket and pulled him the rest of the way in. The door slammed shut behind him preventing any of the demons from entering.

Dean hovered at the back of the room, near Nick and Sam. Once the men had the front window covered he'd felt the need to protect his own. Nick had finished patching up the youngest Winchester. Nick was grateful that Sam had remained unconscious. The process would have been extremely painful for him otherwise. Being an ex Seal, he'd immediately recognized the military bearing of the new arrivals. The ear plugs were also a definite giveaway.

The black man pulled the third man to his feet before turning toward the trio around the fire. Nick had thrown some more broken furniture onto it to get it going again. Both he and Sam needed the heat. "What's going on here," the man demanded.

The smaller man had taken up a position by the broken window. He was determined to keep the creatures out but was amazed that they hadn't come through yet. Angry yellow eyes glowed in the dark, their malice almost palatable.

"You crashed our party," Dean growled. He wasn't real good with authority figures. They tended to bring out the worse in him.

"What the hell are these things?" the smaller man asked. "Why aren't they coming through the window?"

"They're demons," Nick stated. "Right now the crosses are keeping them out but that won't last forever."

"Are you serious?" the smaller man asked. What colour he'd had in his ruddy complexion leeched out. Still eyeing the creatures, he pulled the black knit cap off his head and ran a hand through his close-cropped reddish brown hair. Then he rubbed at the stubble on his jaw. "This can't be real."

"How do we kill them _en masse_?" the black guy asked. He had a hand on the third man's shoulder to steady him. The third man was still clutching his rifle with his left hand but his right shoulder hung kind of funny. Beneath the dark stubble on his chin his skin was pale. The corners of the pale blue eyes were drawn tight in pain.

"Bullets, grenades, nukes. They'll keep coming though until we seal the entrance they're using," Dean stated. Beside him, Sam was beginning to come around. He was shifting and moaning quietly. Nick rested his hand on the boy's uninjured shoulder to reassure him. For his part the ex Seal was barely vertical. His strength was vanishing with the ebb or adrenalin.

"And where would that be?" the man asked. He was clearly the leader of the three.

"We haven't had a chance to find it yet. We've been a little distracted," Dean growled. Sam was breathing fast and shallow as he rode the waves of pain coursing through his neck and shoulder. His eyes were screwed shut and his face was twisted in a grimace.

"I see that. My name's Jonas. This is Mack and Bob. You are?" The man had indicated himself followed by the man by the window and finally the man he was helping to support.

"Dean, Sam and Nick," Dean responded. First names were okay, anything beyond that they were going to have to beat out of him. He carefully placed the shot gun down on the floor within his reach but not so close that Sam may accidently trigger it. Crouching down, he placed his hand on his brother's chest. Beneath the fabric of his flannel shirt and t-shirt, Dean could feel Sam's heart beating rapidly.

"How you doing, Sammy?" he asked. Dean knew how much Sam hated that name. He was trying to get a rise out of him.

"Don't call me Sammy," his brother growled through clenched teeth. It felt like his neck and shoulder were on fire. It was all he could do to remain conscious. A part of him was aware of the new arrivals but he couldn't bring himself to care.

A ghost of a smile played across Dean's face. "You need anything?"

"A rock," was Sam's laconic reply.

"Here," Nick helped Sam take three of the Tylenol and drink most of the water in one of the bottles. He hadn't been able to do it earlier without choking the man. Satisfied there was nothing else he could do, Nick settled his let into a more comfortable position and gave into his exhaustion.

"We need to set up a perimeter," Jonas stated. "Are you mobile?" He'd turned his attention to Bob who was trying to keep from letting on how much pain he was in.

Bob's initial reaction was to say yes. He hated to admit when he was less than 100 percent. But he also knew that a lie wouldn't serve anyone at the moment. Defeated, he hung his head. "No," escaped his lips. His shoulder was probably dislocated. He'd done it before and knew the pain a little too intimately. Also, his leg was all ready swelling and seizing up. It was nearly all he could do to stay on his one foot.

"How bad is it?" Jonas recognized the signs. The kid was in trouble. Without waiting for a response, he pulled down the zipper on Bob's coat and slipped his hands inside to examine his shoulder. The younger man gasped and gamely tried to stay on his feet but ultimately he lost the battle and began to slip to the floor. Not bothering to warn his subordinate, Jonas wrenched the humerus head and slipped it backed into the socket. Bob grunted, suppressing the scream that wanted to come.

The bone slipped home, instantly relieving the stabbing pain to a dull ache. Bob tried to gain his feet again but his left knee would not take his weight. Still holding Bob's arm, Jonas kept him off the ground long enough to sit him on the couch.

"Is it safe to stay here until daylight?" Jonas asked Dean. He had no experience with otherworldly phenomena. It made him nervous to not be in control. With three men down, they needed someplace to regroup and let the wounded rest.

"As safe as any place," Dean responded.


	6. Chapter 6

Dean had collected one of the sleeping bags from their pile and was trying to wrestle it under his brother without too much jostling. The temperature in the living room was dropping. The last thing he needed was for Sam or Nick for that matter, to come down with a cold or exposure. Sam was taller than him and probably had a good twenty pounds on him. Dean hadn't realized how much of a difference that had become until now. Sam had slipped back into unconsciousness and was nothing more than dead weight.

Once Bob was settled on the couch, Jonas moved over to the civilians. He helped get Sam and then Nick into a sleeping bag. There was something not quite right about these guys. They were a little too calm about demons. It kind of made his skin crawl.

"We need to block that window," Dean said. "It's going to be hard enough to stay warm without the extra breeze."

Without a word, Jonas moved over to Mack. Between the two of them, they lifted the door Dean had used to brace the door and put it against the broken window pane. Instantly the room felt warmer as the wind stopped and the snow stopped swirling in. Picking up the hammer and nails that Sam had used earlier, Dean proceeded to secure the door.

"Do you deal with demons often?" Mack asked. Keeping watch had set his nerves on edge. He could kill an enemy in a heartbeat but they'd never been this plentiful or freaky looking.

"More than I'd like." Dean was relieved that the men didn't appear to recognize him. He didn't want to push it though and get too friendly.

"Are you serious?" Mack felt like he'd fallen down the rabbit hole and was visiting Alice in Wonderland.

"Yes, I am," Dean growled as he continued to hammer away. "And quit asking me if I'm serious."

The two military men shared a look but chose to let the subject drop.

"What kind of weapons do you have?" Jonas asked.

"Just what you see." Dean figured they'd all ready knew too much about their weapons. He fervently hoped that the rest were not obvious.

"I doubt that," Mack muttered to himself. The man, while clearly not military, had a battle hardened edge to him. A signal from Jonas quietened him instantly. Whatever this trio did have probably didn't compare to the armament they carried.

"There's more doors down the hall, we should block up the rest of the windows to consume heat." Dean didn't bother to wait for a response. He sank the last nail in, put the hammer and nails down and headed across the room.

Half an hour later, all four windows were filled in by doors. Planning ahead, they'd left a gap at the end of each window so they could still keep a watch outside. Jonas had asked for a blanket and used it to cover Bob. The youngest member of his team had settled with his back against the overstuffed arm of the couch with his legs up. Bob's right arm was clasped protectively across his stomach and his head kept bobbing as he tried to stay awake.

"Get some sleep, you may need it later," Jonas instructed. Bob looked up at him blurrily as he settled a little deeper into the couch. The blanket in place, Jonas turned to their host. "How much wood to we need?"

"More than is lying around here," Dean replied. He'd taken up a position by the nearest window so he could watch the demons and keep an eye on Sam at the same time.

"Mack, come with me." The two men headed down the hallway in search of incendiaries, anything would work at this point.

This was not the ideal site to be hold up in. There were numerous entry points, not all of them traditional. Even with the fireplace there was still a chance that they might freeze before morning. Also the three civilians threw a wrench into the works. Jonas knew what his men were capable of under all circumstances. He had no idea how the others were going to react in a crisis. Restlessly, he tried his mike for the fourth in the past two hours. "Dirt Diver, this is Snake Doctor. Do you read?" No response. Sighing, he helped Mack smash an old dresser they'd found.

"Dean?" Sam called. It hurt too much to turn his head. Besides, he didn't want to start the bite marks bleeding again.

"I'm right here, Sam," Dean replied. He crossed the distance where his brother lay in a heartbeat. "How you doing?"

"Not so good," Sam admitted. The Tylenol had helped a bit with the pain bit it was still overwhelming at times. He wanted to pull his blankets off. They were heavy and he was hot but he couldn't face moving either arm. "I'm hot."

"I know, kiddo. You have a fever. Here," Dean knelt down beside his brother and supported his head. He helped him drink from a water bottle.

"Uncover me," Sam said. He knew he sounded like a spoiled child but he couldn't help it. He felt like a child, young and scared and it infuriated him.

"No can do, Sammy. You need to stay covered up." For emphasis, Dean tucked the blanket a little higher.

"Please?" It just slipped out, Sam couldn't help it.

"No, Sam." The look in his kid brother's dark grey eyes was scaring him. It was like when Sam had his migraines from his visions. He was so vulnerable that it nearly killed Dean. To make him feel better, Dean soaked one of the bandages from the first aid kid with the remaining water from the bottle and placed it on Sam's forehead. With an almost visible sigh of relief, Sam's eyes slowly fluttered shut. In moments he was breathing a little deeper.

"He's not going to turn into one of those things, is he?" Bob asked. He'd been dozing lightly, the voices had woken him.

"You watch too many zombie movies," Dean growled. "The fever may kill him but he'll just be dead."

Not sure how to respond to that, Bob closed his eyes again and tried to ignore his knee and shoulder.

"Have you always had a problem with authority?" Nick asked quietly. He was exhausted but despite his best efforts was unable to sleep for more than a few minutes at a time. Also, he was bored silly.

"What problem?" Dean asked innocently. He sat down beside Sam, deciding he needed to keep a closer eye on him. His face was flushed red and was covered with a thin layer of sweat. Absently, he ran his fingers through Sam's brown hair. It was something he used to do when Sam was young and sick. Sometimes it was the only way to get him to calm down and fall asleep.

"So, what's the deal?" Nick asked. He couldn't sleep so he might as well find out more about his companions. "You're brothers, that's obvious but how did you wind up out here, hunting demons?"

"It's what we do," Dean grumbled. He trusted Nick more than the other three men but that didn't really say much. There were very few people in Dean's world that he truly trusted and one of them was sleeping fitfully beside him. The other was gone. Forever.

"Not many people know about demons and other supernatural creatures. Most people don't think they exist and so couldn't see one standing in front of their faces. Where did you find out about it all?" Nick asked. He wasn't ready to let the subject drop. He was in charge of security for the San Francisco house of the Legacy. He wanted to know if there were other dangers out there. Distantly he wondered how Derek was doing. By now he would know that something was wrong with Nick. He hoped the older man hadn't come looking for him in the storm.

"Our dad taught us," Dean stated. He wasn't going to volunteer any information but if he was asked, he'd consider coming clean. Maybe.

"Who taught him?" Nick knew that most members of the Legacy had parents that had been part of the society before them. Not many people outside of the Legacy knew of its existence.

"No one. He figured it out on his own," Dean said. He was still running his hands through Sam's hair but now he wasn't sure who he was doing it for.

"That would explain some of your practices," Nick muttered. "What kind of books has he read?"

"I don't know," Dean growled. "Sam does most of the research online." He wasn't telling the man about his dad's journal. Or about Bobby or any of the other hunters. This stayed between the three of them. Well, the six of them now.

"There's a lot of crap online," Nick stated.

"We manage okay," Dean grated. Then he looked at his wounded brother. Maybe okay wasn't quite good enough some days.

"I can see that," Nick said. He saw the younger man's face darken and knew he'd overstepped the boundaries they'd tentatively set. "Some of what's online has been placed there by the demons themselves, disinformation. We tend to use the old books for research but that tends to take time."

"Who's 'we'?" Dean was interested despite his best efforts not to be. He knew about some of the others hunters but surely there were more. This man didn't seem to know anything about the network of men and women who fought all creatures supernatural.

"Ah," Nick hedged as he considered what to say. In for an ounce, in for a pound. What the hell. "I'm a member of a group called the Legacy. We investigate claims of supernatural activity and remedy them." It was a simplistic explanation for what they did but it was close enough.

"The Legacy. Never heard of it," Dean grunted. It sounded like a bad reality TV show or science fiction.

"That's kind of the point of the Legacy. We work under the radar so we can do things other agencies can't. Like perform exorcisms." Nick had never performed on himself and only knew of one priest who'd managed one successfully but they still were the last hope of many people. "Now, what's your story?"

"What do you mean?" Dean asked, trying his innocent look again.

"It doesn't take a genius to figure out that we're both here to fight the demons. The fact that we're here at the same time indicates that we were both following the same clues. You were hunting them. Why?" Nick had the feeling that Bob was intently listening to everything they were saying. In the light of the fire he could see the man's face alternate between growing pale and growing flushed in the face in response to their conversation.

"Like I said. That's what we do," Dean said. He took the cloth off Sam and soaked it again. Tenderly, he placed the wet bandage on the back of his neck. Under his fingers he could feel the heat still coming off of his brother's skin. Damn.

"But why? Do you get paid?" Nick knew that with the members of the Legacy they performed their duties because it was their passion but they still got paid for it. For the first time he noticed how well worn and threadbare some of the two men's clothes were. Whatever they got paid wasn't enough.

"Oh, yeah, we even get benefits," Dean chuckled. The man was serious. Surely there was no way to do what they did and make an honest living at it.

Mack and Jonas entered the room pre-empting further conversation. Their arms were full of broken wood. Mack stacked his beside the fireplace then headed back down the hallway. Jonas put some of his wood on the fire before he piled the rest of it. "How much longer do we have?" he asked Dean.

"So far so good, another four hours and the sun'll be up. They only come out at night," Dean stated. A quick glance at his brother and he knew the fever was worse. Sam's face reflected in the flames from the sweat glistening in the light. Suddenly very restless, he moved over to the window and looked out at the darkness beyond. Fear and anxiety were eating at his insides. They needed to get out of here and have Sam taken care of properly.


	7. Chapter 7

"How long have the demons been here?" Jonas asked. Colonel Ryan had sent his team here to search for a missing politician. He and his family had gone to a cabin a few miles away for their winter getaway and had not been seen or heard from since. The Unit had found the cabin empty with signs of a struggle and had assumed that they'd been kidnapped. He'd left Williams and White at the cabin to examine the scene when Mack had found prints in the snow. Splitting up was never a good idea but the nearest law enforcement agency was two hours away and the snow was obliterating their trail. So he set off to follow the clues. By the time they realized strange things were going on it was too late to get back to the cabin. Then they smelled the smoke from the chimney.

"The first reports started showing up a week ago," Dean stated. He was hovering by the blocked out window, pacing really, between it and his brother.

Mack entered the room and placed another load of wood by the fire. "That's within our time frame," he said, having heard the conversation on his way down the hallway.

"My information says ten days," Nick stated. Sleep was still elusive. He was more comfortable lying on his back with a sleeping bag wrapped around him but every time he closed his eyes thoughts of his superior, Derrick Raines, kept interfering. The Precept of San Francisco house would be frantic by now. The ex Seal tried to clear his thoughts in case Derrick was trying to reach him. He wasn't really sure that that was within Derrick's abilities but it was worth a try. Derrick had floored him before with what he could do with the ESP he was gifted with. The pain in his leg and body and the cold kept drawing his thoughts away from his quiet place. Frustrated, he turned back to the conversation going on around him.

"That could be. Things don't appear on the internet overnight in these remote areas." Dean tried to hid the surprise from his face and voice. He wondered where the older man got his information.

Nick didn't bother to respond. His head, neck and shoulders were reasserting themselves. The Tylenol had taken some of the edge off but not much. Closing his eyes, he tried once again to relax his muscles and give in to sleep.

"Are there any other precautions we should be taking?" Jonas asked. Give him a drag down right any time over this supernatural stuff. He glanced at Bob. The younger man was resting on the couch. Every once in a while the corner of his eyes and mouth tightened as a wave of pain passed over him but otherwise he gave absolutely no indication. Sam was still unconscious, his face glistening with sweat.

"We could put more salt across the thresholds but what's there all ready is enough. Just keep your eyes open in case they manage to start slipping in," Dean instructed. He wanted out of here. There were too many people around. It was making him nervous. Sammy's illness was making him scared too. Growling quietly to himself in frustration, he turned his attention back to the dark beyond the window.

Now that the windows were partially blocked the room was getting warmer. At least Jonas was no longer seeing his breath. Restless, the team leader paced the room, pausing long enough to check the wounded before continuing on. Mack was by the front door keeping watch. His skin crawled as he watched the hoard of demons outside the thin barrier, move and pulsate. Their yellow eyes continued to glow on and off like possessed Christmas lights.

For the first time in his life, Mack Gerhardt was feeling claustrophobic. He desperately wanted to get out of this house with its broken windows, holey roof and strange creatures. Give him a shooting match or a fight with his wife Tippy any time over these creepy crawlies. If it wasn't for Bob being injured, he'd try to convince Jonas to get out of here and try to make it back to the other cabin. He'd feel better with a few more bodies that knew how to properly use their weapons. He glanced at his leader and friend as he made his fourth circuit around the room then at Bob who was sleeping. Or at least he seemed to be.

Distractedly, Mack wondered if the other two were okay. Charlie and Hector were the best but he wasn't sure they'd grasp what type of creatures they were up against. He knew damn well the two Unit members didn't have crosses to hang on the walls. Not that the thought probably occurred to them in the first place.

Bob shifted position in an attempt to relieve some of the pain throbbing through his shoulder and knee. A low moan escaped despite his best efforts.

"You okay?" Jonas asked on his way by. The flames from the fire were creating flickering shadows along the ceiling and in the corners of the room. It was sending an alarm along his nerves. He couldn't tell the difference between a shadow or a creature sneaking in. Not a good situation to be in.

"Yes," Bob replied. The shoulder was stiffening up, as was the knee. Frustrated and a little scared at the thought of being handicapped, the youngest Unit member forced himself out of the couch and teetered on one leg. Experimentally he put weight on his injured leg. Spasms of pain shot through it, taking his breath away. Bob tried to remain standing and ride out the pain in hopes that it would diminish with time. It didn't. Gritting his teeth, Bob tried a few tentative steps. He could feel Jonas's eyes on his back but he couldn't do it.

More frustrated than before, Bob sank back onto the couch and rubbed his injured knee with his uninjured hand. Under the denim of his jeans, he could feel the distended skin above, below and around his knee. Any pressured at all caused radiations of pain and heat.

A presence passed between him and the fire causing Bob's hackles to rise. Then Jonas was running his hands over his knee, oblivious of the pain he inflicted as he poked and prodded.

"I'm okay," Bob said. He hated to admit when he was less than one hundred percent.

"You can't walk, much less run. You're not okay." Jonas understood the sentiment but he had four other people to consider. He needed to know who the weak links were in advance.

"I will when I need to," Bob replied. He did have a high pain tolerance. When he need to, he'd make it.

"I know." Jonas finished his examination. Briefly he wished he had Charlie White. Charlie was a better a better medic than he was. Bob's knee was royally screwed. The bruising was what was causing it to swell. The swelling was significantly reducing his manoeuvrability.

Off to Jonas's left, Sam began to come around. The young man groaned as the wounds registered. Scared, not remembering how he'd been injured, Sam looked around quickly, further aggravating his neck and shoulders. He searched frantically for his older brother, ignoring the pain. Jonas was about to bring this to the other man's attention but Dean was there all ready, keeling beside Sam's head.

"Hey, kiddo, how're you doing?" he asked. Rustling around in the bags beside Sam and Nick, he extracted a full water bottle and the Tylenol.

"What happened?" Sam managed between clenched teeth. Slowly the memories were coming back. Sam glanced first at the sleeping Nick and then at Bob and Jonas.

"You were bitten by a demon," Dean responded matter of factly even as his stomach churned. "Here, take these." He put two Tylenol in Sam's mouth and then held his head up while he took a few swallows of water.

"How long until dawn?" Sam asked. Exhaustion was all ready trying to close his eyes. He found it hard to look at his brother while lying on his stomach but the alternative was too painful.

"Three hours yet, I hate winter," Dean growled. Gently, he placed his brother's head back down ht e the ground. Sam's eyes got big as he stared blurrily into the far corner of the room.

"Dean," he said as he tried to roll onto his back. "They're coming through."

Instantly on guard, Mack and Jonas, who were already near the front door, turned toward the corner of room. Their weapons were unlocked as they examined the dark corner. Slowly the two military men began to discern two, then three pains of yellow eyes burning like embers and gradually increasing in intensity. A loud roar from behind them momentarily shocked them. Then the fire in the fireplace flamed to twice its normal size. In an instant the fire died, plunging the group into darkness.

"Mack," Jonas said quietly. The two men edged together, back to back as they moved toward the fireplace and the others. "Bob, are you vertical?"

"Not yet," Bob had to admit. He was struggling to reach his feet but his knee kept giving out on him and his shoulder wouldn't allow any pressure to be placed on it. Then a hand caught hold of him, pulled him up and braced him.

"I got him," Nick said. The sound of the flames had awakened him and he'd forced his protesting body up. "Dean, get Sam."

"I know," Dean growled. One hand clutching the shotgun, he used the other to try to force his brother up. Despite his best efforts though, he was unable to get the taller man beyond a sitting position. Beside him there was a pop followed by a shaking sound. Yellow fluorescent light burst into existence, as Nick shook one of the glow rocks from the backpacks.

The men huddled around Sam and the light watching the yellow eyes wink in and out of existence.

"Damn, I wish they'd stop doing that," Mack growled under his breath. The light from the glo-stick was enough to create a halo effect around them. So far the demons had not broken completely into the room. They were currently little more than shadowy forms in the darkness, except for their lamp like eyes. Ever so slowly, though, they eventually began to develop form.

"What do we do now?" Mack asked. He was used to being in control of every situation. Demons were not something he knew how to control.

"Short, controlled bursts, same as always," Jonas replied. Beside him in the dim light, he could see that Bob had out a hand gun, the only weapon he could use one-handed. Nick was similarly armed while Dean had his sawed-off shotgun. Braced against his legs was Sam. The younger man had gamely tried to get to his feet but he was unable to maintain the position in his feverish condition.

The shotgun barked. It sounded like pebbles hitting the corner but Jonas figured it was probably rock salt. These people seemed to have an affinity for the stuff. High pitched screams filled the air as demons vanished under the bombardment.

Within seconds, everyone else was firing, trying to reduce the numbers as they were nearly overwhelmed. If it hadn't been for the shotgun they would have never made it.


	8. Chapter 8

"It's quiet," Mack stated. He'd moved over to the nearest window and was peering outside.

"Too quiet," Jonas replied. He and Dean were standing guard over the injured. The fire was comforting but not especially helpful when trying to see the eyes appearing in the shadows.

"Two more hours and the sun'll be up," Dean stated. He was pacing, impatient for the next attack, impatient for this to be over. Every lap of his pacing brought him to check on Sammy. His kid brother was holding his own but he still had a fever. Every once in a while Dean would hear his brother mutter or moan. Neither of these things made him feel any better.

"You mentioned earlier that there is an entrance these things are coming out of. What does this look like?" Jonas asked. He and Mack had been over every inch of this house. Other than being abandoned there was nothing out of the ordinary that they had found. He wanted to know what to look for.

"The entrances take different forms. Sometimes it's a gopher hole, sometimes a crack in the earth, other times it's an old well. The only way to know if you have the right one is that it's usually encrusted with sulphur," Dean said. He glanced over at his sleeping brother. Did he still have two hours? Dean wasn't sure.

"Once the sun comes up the demons will be gone, right?" Jonas asked. He wanted to get as much information as he could before the creatures attacked again. The more information he had the better their chances of survival were. Dean nodded in the affirmative. "Then what do we do? They disappear but we're still stuck in this house with a blizzard raging.

"I've seen your car. It's not going to be able to blaze a trail through the snow drifts we came through. So, come daylight we're still stuck here," Jonas finished. If it were just his men and himself and Bob wasn't injured they'd have no trouble getting back to the cabin. As it was, they were going to find it pretty hard making their own way back without freezing or getting lost in the swirling snow. None of them had thought to bring goggles to prevent snow blindness. If the sun came up with the dawn they'd be blinded within a matter of meters.

Dean stopped short. He'd been thinking about nothing but getting Sam out of here. For once in his life he hadn't really considered how he was going to do that. Damn he hated the snow and winter and the cold. Well, at this moment, pretty much everything to do with this case. Absently, he checked Sammy again while he stalled for time. He needed to think this through but having the taller man breathing down his neck for an answer certainly didn't help.

"He doesn't know," Mack stated simply from his position by the door. The thought threw him. If the experts didn't know how were they going to get out of this?

"Is your cell phone working?" Nick asked from his position on the ground. He looked at Sam and quickly checked the younger man's life signs. They were a little high but stable.

"No," Dean answered. He'd been obsessively checking the stupid piece of electronic garbage since they wound up here. All he ever got was no signal. The elder Winchester had barely managed to keep from throwing the stupid thing into the fire.

"Me neither," Nick admitted. Casually he pulled Sam's sleeping bag up a little higher under his chin before turning to the older brother. "My boss, Derek Raines, will be looking for me by now. Usually they'd use my cell phone to triangulate my position but without a signal that's not going to work.

"I know where I was supposed to meet him. Do you have a map of the area that I can look at? Maybe he's closer than the cabin," the ex-Seal suggested. He'd known where he was on the road but hadn't been awake during the trip to their current location. It was a long shot but better than nothing at the moment.

"Sure," Dean grunted. Moving away from the window, he rummaged through the bags on the floor. Dean could feel the eyes from the military men burning into his back. He managed to keep the frustration out of his demeanour as he stood up, the map clutched in his hand.

"Here," Dean said as he thrust it toward the horizontal man. He briefly considered showing Nick where they were on the map but decided to see if he could figure it out himself.

"Thanks," Nick replied. Carefully he unfolded the map in an area where there was the most light from the fireplace. It only took him a few moments to figure out where he'd been when he'd left the road. From there he tried to triangulate their position based on what little information he had. Unfortunately, he didn't have his GPS with him or even a compass, it was in his bag. "Derek's here."

It was a copout and he knew it. If Nick could have gotten a better look outside he still wouldn't have had any idea where they were.

Grinning to himself, Dean moved over until he could see where the older man was indicating on the map. It was about half a mile away. Despite the blizzard, they just might make it. Suddenly feeling a little more hopeful, Dean began making his way around the house, looking outside to see what they were really facing.

"Is that a good sign?" Mack asked as he watched the younger man leave the protection of the room. Getting a signal from Jonas, Mack turned his attention back to the outside. In the remaining dark he could just make out the demons' eyes blinking on and off in the lilac hedge. There could have been more around but the ones in the hedge were the most obvious. Shifting his rifle into a more comfortable position, Mack tried to concentrate a bit harder on the darkness. They weren't any safer.

Jonas decided to let the civilian do whatever he seemed to think he needed to. Glancing over at Mack, the tall leader knelt down beside Bob. The younger man was sleeping lightly, his injured arm lying across his stomach and his injured leg propped up on the couch. "How are you doing?" he asked the younger man.

Instantly Bob's blue eyes opened and fell on his superior's face. As always, he considered the automatic answer of okay but he knew that wasn't going to help. Bob paused for a moment and took a quick inventory of his body before answering. "The knee's still screwed but the shoulder's turned to a dull ache. I can use it if I need to."

"Good. We may be on the move soon. Keep your weapon close, we still have over an hour of night left," Jonas instructed.

Bob nodded his understanding and rechecked the handgun lying by his side to make sure it was still loaded and ready to go. Then he lay back down. As good as he was at compartmentalizing pain, his knee felt like it was ready to burst at the seams. Carefully he shifted it, trying to find a more comfortable position. No such luck.

Beside Bob, Nick was tending Sam. The younger boy was still lying on his stomach, his dark hair plastered against his head with sweat. Nick was placing a damp cloth on the back of his neck, trying to get the fever down. Then Nick carefully lifted the bandages to examine the wounds on his back and shoulders. Even from this distance, Bob could see the puss and redness invading the tissue.

For a moment Nick searched around where he'd been lying. Then he came up with a canteen. Using another bandage, the dark haired man carefully soaked it with some of the contents of the canteen and placed it over the wound. Instantly Sam moaned, despite being unconscious. "Sorry," Nick mumbled under his breath.

Under Nick's fingers he could feel the younger man's muscles twitching in response to the holy water. It was the only thing he could think of to use to try to keep the infection from spreading. He could hear a faint popping sound like hydrogen peroxide as the holy water worked its way into the grooves and crevices. Sam was writhing in pain as Nick added more water.

"Is that absolutely necessary?" Bob asked. The low moans were gradually changing to something more akin to a scream. He found it very unnerving.

Finished his reconnaissance, Dean came back into the room and immediately knelt beside his brother, concern darkening his features. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"The infection's getting worse. I'm trying to clean some of it with holy water," Nick replied. He could see the danger lurking below the surface of the younger man's face. "Obviously it's a little uncomfortable but I'm almost done."

"We've got to get out of here," Dean muttered under his breath as he looked on. Gently, he placed a comforting hand on his brother's back. There was little else he could do.

"They're back!" Mack called from the window. Beyond the broken pane of glass the demons were rushing toward the house. He pulled up his rifle and began firing, trying to take as many of them out as he could before they broke the perimeter.

"Here! Pour some of this on each of the crosses, it might strengthen the barrier," Nick instructed, thrusting the canteen into Dean's hands. Why hadn't he thought of that before?

Rather than taking the time to argue, Dean set out and quickly doused each of the crosses. It was worth a try.


	9. Chapter 9

Amazingly enough soaking the crosses actually helped. The demons hit the barrier like a brick wall. Some shrieked in frustration at not being able to get any closer, others just milled around, waiting for the barrier's power to fade again.

"Where did that idea come from?" Dean asked. He'd resumed his position by the window nearest Sam. The eldest Winchester glanced over his shoulder at Nick. The older man was lying down beside Sam, trying to relax a little before the sun came up or the demons got in, whichever came first.

"What, the holy water? That was just a guess," Nick admitted. Giving up on the rest as a lost cause, Nick forced himself up off the chill ground. Even with the fire, he could tell that the temperature outside had dropped during the night. The trip out of here was going to be cold. Nick wasn't looking forward to it.

"So, you were following a lead up here?" Dean asked. He felt the need to make time pass faster. If that included carrying on a conversation with the man keeping his brother alive, so be it.

"Yes. Derek Raines, the precept of San Francisco House, came up here first because I was still finishing another investigation," Nick started. The Legacy was a low key group but they weren't exactly secret. Besides, these two brothers sounded like they'd been doing much the same as the Legacy, with less of a budget.

"'Precept'?" Dean parroted. Was that a fancy name for a warlock or demon? He wasn't sure.

"It's just a fancy way of saying leader. He's in charge of the house. Derek decides which cases warrant an investigation and who does the investigating. At least most of the time, if one of us feels particularly passionate about a case, we've been known to ignore Derek and finish it on our own terms," Nick said. He wasn't sure exactly why he was being so forth coming, especially with the military men listening in. But then, they might be dead in an hour or whoever long it took the barrier to come down. So, why not?

"Okay. So, Derek Raines is your leader. You live in a house in San Francisco. And there are more than two of you," Dean summarized. He was only half paying attention. Being a natural cynic, he wasn't sure how much of what Nick was saying he was willing to believe.

"There are two women that work with us as well. One of them is a psychic and the other a psychiatrist. Derek is also psychic," Nick stated matter of factly. He knew what the typical response was to what he'd just said. If he hadn't seen the things he'd seen or done the things he'd done he'd have the same response.

"If Derek's psychic, why doesn't he know you're in danger?" Dean asked. He had to ask, didn't he?

"Maybe he does," Nick responded, a smile coming to his tired lips. It wouldn't surprise him in the least but unfortunately, Derek's ESP didn't include GPS coordinates.

"Are you serious?" Mack asked from the front window. Disbelieving, he glanced over at his own leader standing by the other window.

"Did the world move for you?" Dean asked, not caring if he upset the man. Something about the way Nick was handling himself brought the worst out in Dean. It was almost like he wasn't alone in the world trying to hunt down all the nasties on and in the planet anymore. It was much the same way he felt when Sammy finally rejoined him in the fight.

"Excuse me?" Mack stated. He wasn't really feeling much like having a sense of humour at the moment.

"You know, that sensation when your world takes a right turn while your mind takes a left?" Dean supplied helpfully.

"We're both perfectly serious. You should know that by now given what you've seen. Demons and other monsters that your parents used to tell you about when you were a kid are real. We have spent most of our lives fighting them, we should know," Nick replied. It could be very tiresome dealing with civilians.

"We are searching for a senator and his family. Do you think these demons may be responsible for their disappearance?" Jonas asked. It was worth a try. They couldn't get any further down the rabbit hole.

"Well, generally speaking, all the demons I've known were more interested in killing people than kidnapping them," Dean said. "But this is the first time I've come in contact with this particular breed."

"Derek had some research on them but I hadn't had a chance to read it as carefully as I like," Nick admitted. "From what I did get, these things are easily controlled, especially by a psychic but they have to be summoned. If they're here, someone wanted them here. Did your senator have any enemies?"

"What politician doesn't?" Jonas asked. Rather than deal with this craziness any longer, he turned his attention to the sleeping Bob. His youngest member was sleeping fitfully while he could. Bob's face was flushed. Gently, Jonas placed the back of his hand against his subordinate's forehead. At least it was cool, no obvious fever. Unlike Sam.

At Jonas's touch, Bob's blue eyes blinked open and came to rest on the older man's face. In an instant, he was trying to force his sore and tired body up to his feet. Jonas placed a restraining hand on his nearest shoulder. "Didn't mean to wake you. Just wanted to make sure that you didn't have a fever," he explained as he pushed the younger man back to the ground. "Keep resting, it's almost dawn."

"Tracks from the politician's cabin led here?" Dean asked. Might as well keep the conversation going. Automatically his eyes tracked to where his brother still lay on his stomach. In the firelight Dean could see a thin sheen of sweat on his forehead but not as much as before. Hopefully that was a good sign.

"Well, not quite here," Mack admitted. He glanced at his superior to see if he had overstepped his bounds.

"We lost the tracks about a quarter of a mile away from here. The snow obscured them. If we hadn't smelt the fire, we might still be wandering around out there," Jonas added.

"Oh, I doubt that," Dean stated, an evil glint in his eyes. "You'd be dead by now. You would have all frozen solid."

Instead of answering the strange younger man, Mack turned his attention back to the window. He'd rather watch the demons' eyes blink on and off than delve any further into this madness. A quick glance at Jonas confirmed that he was not pursuing the subject either. As he watched, Jonas tried once again to reach the others back at the cabin. Still no success. Damn, wasn't the sun going to come up today? Somehow that wouldn't surprise the ruddy faced sergeant. Stranger things had happened so far today.


	10. Chapter 10

After what felt like an eternity, the sun peeked over the eastern horizon, colouring the snow laden clouds pink. There was hope that the storm was going to abate soon because the sun had shown through at all.

Unable to contain his nervous energy, Dean had taken to wandering the whole first floor of the abandoned building. The demons didn't seem particularly interested in the back of the house, just the front. If he weren't so tired and agitated, the seasoned hunter would have noticed the discrepancy and realized its importance. As it was, Dean was in the back room and saw the sky begin to lighten.

"About time," Dean muttered as he strode back to the front room. Mack and Jonas were still keeping watch over the front windows. The injured were still sprawled on the ground in front of the fireplace, resting as they could.

On his way by, Dean quickly checked over his still sweaty brother. The fever was down, marginally. The holy water Nick had used had helped at least that much. Thankful, Dean turned his attention to the other two mobile people in the room. "It's sunrise," he announced. "We'd better start coming up with a plan to get out of here."

"The demons aren't gone yet," Mack stated. There weren't as many of the freaky little creatures but he could still see their eyes in the lilac hedge.

"It's not completely light yet, there are still places for them to hide," Dean said, trying to keep his impatience at bay. Barking at the men wasn't going to improve their situation any. He looked out the front window. There was snow falling but it wasn't falling vertically any more. The wind had let up.

Dean paused long enough to reload his shotgun with rock salt rounds and put as many as he could carry in his pockets. Then he turned to the side door and pushed on it. He'd half expected the snow to have piled up behind it, preventing him from opening it but it swung outward easily. Stepping outside into the snow collected on the door step, Dean looked around.

The shed he'd parked the Impala in was partially filled with snow. The snow banks between here and there were at worst up to his knees and at best up to his ankles. They seemed to be deeper the closer he looked toward his car. Damn. Not what they needed right now. A particularly tall drift made its way from the left side of the shed to the right and was probably up to his thighs. Luckily, due to their line of work, the Winchesters were well stocked in shovels. If they had to they could dig the vehicle out.

The door opened behind him and Jonas came out to stand beside him. "We won't all fit in the car," he stated.

"If I have to, I'll stuff one of you in the trunk," Dean growled. He knew it wasn't a great plan. Hell, it wasn't even a good plan but the Impala was the only transportation they had at the moment.

"Do you plan to dig your way all the way to town?" Jonas asked, ignoring the man's comment.

"No, not to town," Dean said. He hated to admit needing anyone, even Sam. But Nick's 'prefect' was by far closer than town and appeared to have to knowledge they were going to need to help Sam and get rid of the demons. If he was able to ditch the Army men along the way, that would be an added bonus.

"Then where?" Jonas asked. He wanted to get back to his men but he didn't think that Bob was going to do well trudging through the snow banks. To be honest, he wasn't entirely sure how far he and Mack would get either. They weren't properly attired here. When the trio had set out after the tracks, they had only expected to be gone for an hour or so. All ready, he could feel the cold breeze making its way through his layers of cloths to chill the skin underneath.

"We're going to find Nick's boss. He's closer than town and probably better outfitted," Dean said.

"Do we have to worry about demons being in the shadows around your car?" Jonas asked. If he and Mack were going to be shovelling, he wanted to know whether they needed to watch each other's backs.

"They should be gone in the next half hour or so," Dean replied. Might as well tell the man as much as he knew, he thought. Lack of information could get any of them killed. "That'll give us time to pack up, load up the car and start digging."

"All right," Jonas replied. He didn't really have a better idea. Until he got in contact with his men, the three of them were just as well off to stay with these people. At least they seemed to have a grasp on the situation that they didn't. Colonel Ryan was going to have to expand his research capabilities after this one.

In the long run, Dean decided to leave the injured in the house beside the fire while the three of them dug the car out. Nick and Bob probably could manage the trek but he didn't want to move Sam until he absolutely had to. Even then, he wanted to make sure the trip was as short as possible and the car was warm.

The snow bank in front of the shed was hard and compact. But, the three men made short work of it and soon had the car as dug out as they were going to manage. Unlike what Dean said, he had no intentions of digging all the way to the road. He would dig only if his car got stuck. Otherwise they'd still be on the road by night fall. Someplace they do not want to be.

"Okay, let's see how far we get," Dean said as he popped the trunk and threw his shovel inside. Mack and Jonas followed suit. The sun was now shining toward them at a twenty degree angle from the horizon. During their time by the shed, they hadn't seen a single demon. Things were looking up.

The Impala had been idling during the last ten minutes of digging. Climbing inside, Dean relished the gentle purr of her engine for a brief moment before shifting the car into gear. Not a fan of snow, he still knew how to get around in it and so started the vehicle in low first gear.

The two Unit members stood to one side as Dean inched the black car forward, hoping to not get stuck in any of the lower snow banks. He knew there was enough weight in the back that they should be okay but he'd always learned to expect the worst. That way Dean was always prepared for what might happen next. After a new wracking few minutes he had the vehicle pulled up beside the side door step.

"Let's load them up," Jonas said as he and Mack came around the vehicle, climbed the stairs and entered the building. Things were definitely looking up.

"We'll put Nick, Bob and you in the back seat," Dean said. The car was older. It had a huge back seat. "Sam will lie across your knees. I don't think he could handle sitting up for any period of time."

"All right, let's get going," Jonas instructed. After last night, he really wanted to be somewhere secure by nightfall. At this point he was even willing to follow where Dean led. The trio entered the front room to find that Nick and Bob were all ready vertical. The two men had made sure that everything was packed, including the crucifixes from the walls. The bags were stacked by the doorway.

"Are we ready to go?" Nick asked as he hovered by a still sleeping Sam. His leg was all ready complaining about him standing on it. He just hoped they weren't going far.

"Yeah, the Impala is by the door," Dean said. The two Unit members were hoisting the heavy bags, heading toward the car. Now that they were moving Jonas didn't want any excuse to waste time. He wasn't sure what was in the bags but he figured it probably wouldn't hurt the next time they ran into the demons.

Ten minutes later the six men were crammed into the car. Sam was still unconscious but was moaning quietly and shifting around on the three men's laps. It wasn't a particularly comfortable position for any of them.

"Where to?" Dean asked as he looked at Nick in the rear view mirror.

Nick had to pause for a moment to bring the map to his mind before he answered. "We need to head North West of here. Take the first right until the next grid road, then take a left."

"Okay. Let's get this show on the road." Shifting the car into low second, Dean headed out. In second gear this was going to be a slow trip but it was better than spending another night in the abandoned house. As he pulled the car through the drifts in the front yard and made his way onto the dirt road, Dean could almost feel his muscles relaxing. A glance in the rear view at his squirming brother quickly built the tension again. Dean just hoped this Derek Raines was as good as Nick seemed to think he was.


	11. Chapter 11

_Thank you to everyone who is taking the time to review this story. I started it over a year ago and have found the muse again. I'm glad you're enjoying it. _

_Susanne_

The trip was slower than Dean would have liked. Twice they got stuck in huge snow banks that had drifted across the road and had to dig themselves out. Finally they gave up on trying to pile Mack into the back seat after the second time and left him in front with Jonas and Dean.

"Are you aiming for the snow banks?" Mack asked as he got into the front seat. He glanced behind at Nick, Bob and Sam. The youngest was still unconscious, which was just as well but Bob had an amused look on his face that irritated Mack to no end. Despite being injured, the Unit member appeared to be enjoying the whole process a little too much. If it wasn't for his knee and shoulder, Mack would have insisted he help with the pushing, it would serve him right.

"It's all white out there," Dean growled. He'd heard of snow blindness and understood the mechanics of it. Until now, though, he'd never really believed it. The clouds had moved on to be replaced by a brilliant sun that reflected off the snow flakes. The reflection made everything look the same. All ready Dean's eyes were beginning to water from the glare.

"That's snow for you," Mack growled back. He sympathized with the younger man. He was having trouble distinguishing between the snow built up on the sides of the road and the snow that had blown in during the storm. All in all, it certainly wasn't the best situation.

"How much further is it?" Jonas asked glancing behind at Nick. The Legacy member had the map laid out on his lap and was trying to navigate. Not an easy task with the complete lack of landmarks. It was as if the storm had wiped the world clean of everything except for a few shrubs and trees and the ever present snow. How do people live here?

"About a mile," Nick called out. "We're on the right road. It should be the next farm house on the left."

"Let's hope there are no more snow banks between here and there," Mack groused. His feet and hands were wet and his face was cold from the cold wind blowing through the area. All he wanted was go home at this point. Even a fight with Tippy was preferable to this.

Around a tall hedge, caragana this time, the house appeared on their left. It was in much better condition than the place they'd stayed in the previous night. All of the windows appeared to be intact and smoke was issuing from the chimney. Parked in front of the house was a large snowmobile type machine that was completely enclosed. The engine was running as they pulled up, promptly burying the Impala in yet another snow bank.

Cursing, Dean tried to back up but the car as stuck firm. Just as he was about to climb out of the car, followed by a grumbling Mack and Jonas, the door to the house swung open. A tall, distinguished looking man with salt and pepper hair came out onto the porch. He was dressed in a ski suit and looked well prepared to survive the elements.

"Derek," Nick said as he carefully extracted himself from under Sam. The ex Seal climbed out of the back of the car and struggled toward his boss. He was trying to minimize the appearance of his injury but the long night and sitting in the back of the car had exacerbated his leg.

"Nick," Derek stated upon seeing his Security specialist pile out of the car. Instantly he was aware that his friend and colleague was injured and trying hard to not show it. Typical Nick. "Who are your friends?"

"Ah," Nick hedged as he stumbled up the porch stairs. Derek leaned forward and caught hold of Nick's nearest arm and pulled him up to the porch. He took in the pain in Nick's eyes and the pallor of his skin. Concern for his friend overrode all other concerns for a moment. "It's a long story."

"Well, you should all come inside where it's warm," Derek stated as he helped the smaller man into the front door. Something was very wrong here but Nick didn't appear to be on edge with any of his companions so Derek was willing to wait and find out what was going on. "How did you hurt yourself and where is your car?"

Dean wasn't too sure about this Derek person, he reminded him of Vincent Price. Very cool, collected and with an accent that instantly put you at ease. Before shedding his ski suit and other outerwear, the man helped them bring Sam into the house. He made sure they were all comfortable in the living room before escorting Nick into the kitchen. As Derek made his way, he took off the pieces of warm clothing that he wasn't going to need right now.

"So, what is going on?" Derek asked as he set Nick into the nearest chair. There was something decidedly strange about the young man he'd helped carry. As soon as he'd touched him, images of a child and fire assailed his senses. Then other images had come, too fast and too many to make sense of. One thing he was sure of was that the boy was psychic, just like him. The things the young man had seen and experienced were beyond anything the Legacy Precept could imagine. Clearly he was well in tuned to the supernatural world.

"I had two accidents on my way out here. Sam and Dean rescued me from the second one. The roads were too bad and visibility virtually nothing. So we held up in an abandoned farm house a couple of miles from here. Sam was attacked by demons. Infection has set in, he needs medical care," Nick stated as he propped his injured leg on the nearest chair. Somehow felt better with his boss and friend around.

"What about the others?" Derek asked. He was making coffee and tea in an effort warm up the group. Clearly it had been a long night for all of them.

"They're very evasive about which branch of the military they are from but they're here searching for a missing politician and his family. Jonas needs to try to get hold of the rest of his men. They're at the politician's cabin. Thank you," Nick said as he accepted a steaming cup of coffee. The fear and pain of the night was quickly receding with the return to some semblance of normalcy.

"So we're all here to hunt the same demons," Derek stated as he took a longer look at his friend. "And what are your injuries?"

Reluctantly, Nick filled Derek in on all of the injuries. He was better off knowing.

"Well, let's start there. We still have several hours of sunlight left. They'll be more useful if everyone is in their best form."

It took longer than Derek would have liked. Where was Alex when you needed her? But eventually he treated all of the injured. Sam was placed in a bedroom on the second floor. Dean was anxious and happy to see that Derek seemed to have something to treat the infection with other than holy water. He wasn't really happy to have anyone else but himself touch his brother. If there had been any other alternative, he would have found it.

"Now what?" Jonas asked. Derek didn't have any cell phone coverage or a phone line either. The house he inhabited had been leased for the month but the phone installers hadn't had a chance to get there before the storm. Jonas desperately wanted to get hold of his other men. By now he'd expected a search team to be in the area. He was somewhat disconcerted to realize there wasn't one. The Unit usually took the jobs that other military personnel couldn't handle, either by the limitations of their offices or inability to do the job. Colonel Ryan would know that there was something wrong. Why he hadn't sent out a team to find out what was going on was beyond him.

"I found the entrance to the demons' cave this morning while I was looking for you. Nick tells me that you are in search of a missing politician. Could you please show me on the map where he was last seen?" Derek asked. They'd all gathered in the living room. Nick and Bob were on the only chairs, their injured legs propped up. The others were situated around the room as best they could. Dean had just entered the room after checking on his brother.

"Where's the map?" Jonas asked. In a moment Derek had a very detailed map spread over the coffee table.

It took a moment or two for Jonas to orientate himself to where they were, where they'd spent the night and where the cabin was. Carefully he pointed out the location of his men. "We started here," was all he'd say.

"That's within a half mile of the entrance," Derek stated as he looked closely at the indicated position. "There are no other structures around so I can only assume that whoever summoned these demons was targeting your politician. There would be no other reason for them to be here."

"They don't occur naturally?" Mack asked. Who in their right mind would have unleashed these terrible creatures just to even the score with a senator?

"No. They are a lesser demon, very similar to locust. They devour everything in their path until they're exterminated or sent back," Derek said. He moved over to a shelf stacked with old books. Pulling the one of them off the shelf, Derek leafed through the pages until he found the one he wanted. Carefully he handed the book over to Jonas.

"I'll be damned," Jonas breathed as he stared at the picture. It was a drawing of one of the creatures that attacked them back at the other house.

"When do we head out?" Nick asked. He'd noticed the bomber on the way in and knew that it could fit four people comfortably. The former Seal also knew that it would probably take all four people to destroy the entrance. He wasn't planning on being left behind. Not if Derek was going.

"I've got everything we need packed into the snow mobile," Derek said. He took a second glance at all the men in the library with him. The San Francisco house Precept knew that his security officer would not want to be left behind. Under normal circumstances he would agree with him. But these were not normal circumstances. "I need you to stay here with Sam and Bob. The rest of us will go and close the entrance."

"Those two have no idea what needs to be done," Nick argued. He was trying to force himself up onto his feet, without much success.

"Neither do you, Nick," Derek told him as gently as he could. "Besides, they can keep the demons in the hole while Dean and I perform the ceremony."

"Hey, nobody said I was going," Dean growled. He was more than willing to get rid of the demons; he just didn't want to leave Sam behind. The elder Winchester hated to be separated from his kid brother. Bad things always seemed to happen as a result.

"Your brother will be fine," Derek assured the cocky younger man. The face Dean presented to the world was not the one Derek had seen when he'd shaken the man's hand. Nick had filled him in on the brothers and their unusual profession before they returned from the kitchen. "Nick will make sure of that."

Feeling defeated and a little cornered, Dean glanced around at the men in the room. Well, if he had to leave Sam, Nick was the person he'd choose to look after him. Besides, the demons still had to be taken care of before they found some other unsuspecting prey to torment.

"Fine," Dean huffed. "Just let me get my stuff."


	12. Chapter 12

Not happy with being left behind, Nick watched the four men climb into the bombardier and set off. He was frightened for all of them but especially his boss. As much as he'd learned to like Dean, he wasn't sure he trusted the younger man with his friend. The other two, while completely competent, were wild cards. He had no idea how they were going to react to hundreds of demons streaming toward them.

Once the vehicle was gone, Nick turned to face an equally unhappy Bob. The military man was sitting by the fire, his arms crossed over his chest, staring fixedly at the flames. The one concession Bob made was that his leg was still propped up on the coffee table. His knee had completely seized up and wasn't willing to bend.

"I'm going to go check on Sam," Nick said. He needed something to do, even if it did involve climbing stairs. Nick's leg was unhappy at the unwanted exercise but he did it anyway.

Limping into the room, Nick paused to look at the young man sleeping fitfully under the blankets. Derek had carefully propped Sam up among a number of blankets so that he could lie on his back without aggravating his wounds. There was a sheen of sweat on his forehead and cheeks but otherwise he just looked so very young. Nick moved over to the bedside table where Derek had left a basin with water and a cloth in it.

Quietly, Nick soaked the cloth and rang it out. He placed it over Sam's forehead in an effort to help with the fever. Derek had done everything in his power to fight the infection ravaging the lanky body but some of it still remained. His mentor had done the research on the demons. Nick hadn't had the time to review the literature before he'd headed up here. If he had, he would have known about the venom on their claws. There was nothing he could have done about it but there was still a sense of lingering guilt.

There was something about the two brothers that struck a chord with Nick. He had had an older brother. His brother had left him to fend for himself with their dad, not a good proposition. His brother had come back years later but true to form had only needed to be rescued. Nick had tried his best but he hadn't been able to save him from the grim reaper that had been pursuing him. He was a little older than Dean. Somehow that fact brought out a need to protect both of them.

Nick had the feeling that neither Winchester would appreciate his thoughts. They were fiercely independent, so long as they had each other. Once this was over and Sam was healthy again, Nick was going to see if there was some way to help them. Without their knowing, of course.

His leg aching from the exercise of climbing the stairs, Nick moved over to the bedroom window and looked out at the white landscape. The sun would be down in four hours, he just hoped it was long enough.

The trip to the entrance was rather boring compared to what they'd experienced thus far. Jonas tried numerous times along the way to reach his other men with just as little luck. Concern gnawed at his nerves while he turned his attention back to the present situation.

Dean stared out the side window of the bombardier, mulling over what was coming up. He still had nagging doubts about leaving his brother. It killed him to not be with Sam but he knew that this needed to be handled and Sam wasn't in any shape to help. Casually, he glanced over at Derek who was driving the monstrosity.

"Your brother will be fine," Derek said as he felt the younger man's eyes fall on him. The Legacy Precept could feel the man's concern radiating off his body like heat. The brothers intrigued him. They were obviously trained in the supernatural. While the training didn't appear formal, they could certainly hold their own. Otherwise Derek knew that Nick would have put up more of a fight to come with them.

"Yeah, are you a doctor?" Dean growled. He couldn't help it. The patronizing attitude the older man seemed to have was grating on his nerves. Or was it his fear for his brother, he wasn't sure.

"No," Derek admitted. He didn't let the younger man's tough exterior ruffle his feathers. The brothers were used to relying on each other and no one else. Derek doubted that they trusted anyone else in the world. The thought made him a little sad. At least with the Legacy you knew you weren't alone. There were houses in every country on earth, all of which were linked and working together to battle the supernatural forces that were trying to take over. That knowledge gave him a certain degree of comfort. Even if they failed, the San Francisco house knew that the others would succeed, somehow.

"Then how do I know that?" Dean said. He knew he sounded like a spoiled child but he couldn't seem to stop himself.

"Nick will keep a close eye on him. These demons are dangerous in their numbers and the venom on their claws. That's what is causing the infection. The medication I gave him may take a little while to take effect but he should be all right," Derek reassured the worried young man. He knew the wounds looked so much worse than they were. The demons' claws weren't very long so the gashes weren't deep.

Choosing to not respond, Dean turned his attention to the gear he'd brought along. He didn't know how much further they had to go but he wanted to make sure he was ready. Behind him, on the back seat he could hear Mack and Jonas similarly checking their weapons.

"What's the plan?" Jonas asked as he finished inspecting his weapon.

"Two things must happen at the same time. I will be performing the ritual to return the demons to hell while Dean will be dealing with the entrance. All we need you to do is to keep any of them from escaping. While they prefer darkness, when threatened the demons will come out in daylight," Derek said. He was being a little vague about what he and Dean were going to be doing. It wasn't for general information.

"So you just need our guns?" Mack asked instantly feeling better. Covering people's backs was something he was very familiar with. It was something he could easily wrap his mind around.

"Yes," Derek answered simply. He was watching where he was driving. They'd long since left the ruts that constituted a road in this area. The snow was deep but hard packed from the winds yesterday and during the night. It made piloting the oversized skidoo that much easier. He was aimed at a series of rundown sheds in the middle of the field.

"The senator's cabin is to the north of us," Jonas stated as he recognized the sheds he and Mack had walked by yesterday while following the tracks. At that point the tracks had gotten somewhat confusing so they'd had to start a spiral search until they picked them up again. About a mile away they found them again and were following them when the storm hit and darkness began to fall.

"Yes. Until we talked this morning I wasn't sure of the reason for summoning the demons but now I'm convinced that someone was trying to get rid of the senator. A bullet can get traced because someone always talks. Demons, however, kill first.

"What I don't understand is why the demons are still here. If they were summoned to kill the senator and they appear to have accomplished this, why haven't they returned to their origins?"

"You're asking me?" Dean scoffed. He wasn't focused enough to think this through. Despite Derek's assurances, the eldest Winchester's thoughts kept wandering to his little brother. He needed this to be over, now.

"What?" Derek said as if he'd just come back to himself. A slight blush began on his neck as he seemed to realize that he wasn't alone in the vehicle. "Sorry, just thinking out loud."

"That's just great," Dean muttered under his breath as they pulled up to the first broken down shed.

"Dean and I will be inside the building, working on dealing with the demons. You two should stay outside. If you see anything that isn't us come outside, shoot it," Derek informed the two military men. He pulled out a large canvas bag from behind his seat and then waited for the younger men to climb out and join him. Derek only hoped that they were up to the job.


	13. Chapter 13

_Sorry it's so short. I haven't had time this week to update anything. I hope you enjoy it anyway._

_Susanne_

Sam was talking in his sleep. At least that's what Nick hoped was going on. The last thing the young man needed was to develop a full blown fever. Nervously, he leaned in to hear what the younger man was saying. He wasn't sure if it was just curiosity or the need to know what the two boys have seen.

Most of it was gibberish, as far as Nick could tell. But one word sent shivers down his soul. 'Azazel'. Damn. Not a name he wanted to hear associated with the Winchester brothers. Standing back with a sigh, Nick replaced the now dry cloth with a new one. Why had he let Derek leave without making sure he had some way of contacting him?

When Dean stepped into the shed he was expecting exactly that, a shed. No such luck. Once his eyes adjusted to the dark he discovered that the she was barely a shell but it hid a large hole that led into the ground. Exhaling quickly, the eldest Winchester placed a hand over his nose. Despite all his hunting experience the smell of sulphur was so thick in the air that Dean barely managed to keep from gagging. The powdery substance completely ringed the entrance.

"Yeah, that would be it," Dean breathed. Derek was leading the way. The older man didn't seem to be affected at all by the aroma. Well, smell was one of the first senses to go, right?

"I'm not that old, Mr. Winchester," Derek said over his shoulder as he turned a flashlight on and made to climb into the hole.

"Whoa," Dean muttered under his breath. Then he added in a louder voice, "Where do you think you're going?"

"Inside, we need to make sure there aren't any other exits before we seal this one," Derek stated matter of factly. He hoisted his backpack into place and made sure it was properly strapped before he lowered himself to his knees. The entrance wasn't big enough for them to walk. They were going to have to crawl.

"You've got to be kidding," Dean muttered as he watched the older man disappear into the hole. Grumbling under his breath, he thumbed the switch on his own flashlight and crouched. "This is nuts."

"How is he doing?" Bob asked. The military man had become concerned by Nick's continued absence. With a determination he'd had to rely on more in his life than he'd like, Bob had struggled his way up the stairs. Breathing heavily, the taller man leaned against the door jamb while he waited for the pain in his knee and shoulder to subside.

"He's better now that Derek's cleaned the gashes properly but he's not still completely out of the woods," Nick replied. He'd moved a wooden chair beside Sam so that he could try to hear anything else the insensate young man might say about the demon. The last thing Nick needed was for the military man to hear what Sam was saying. His words were a little clearer, at least to him.

"How are you doing?" Nick asked, trying to distract the taller man. Beside him, Sam shifted under the blankets and moaned quietly. His face was screwed up in pain or fear, it was hard to tell. Nick was suddenly struck again by just how young the man looked while he was sleeping. Nick felt old. He shifted his own leg to a more comfortable position.

A self-deprecating grin spread over the tall man's face as he ducked his head. "I'll live," Bob said quietly. He hated being injured and feeling as weak as he did. He wanted to be out there with the rest of his team finding the senator and getting rid of the demons that were plaguing the area. Demons, did he really just think that?

"There's another bed in the room down the hall. Why don't you go lay down. Unfortunately there isn't anything for us to do right now," Nick suggested as he replaced the cloth on Sam's forehead again. It was really all he could do for the man. Derek was the real medic when it came to the supernatural. There were always complications when it came to venom and other excretions.

"I don't really feel much like sleeping right now," Bob admitted. He could hear the younger man speaking under his breath but it didn't really make any sense to him. But then, not a lot of this did.

"The kitchen is fully stocked. How good are you at cooking?" Nick asked. He wasn't really hungry but they needed to keep their strength up. He wasn't sure when the last time he'd had a complete meal had been. Now seemed as good a time as any provided Bob could cook. Nick hoped so. He really didn't like his own mediocre abilities.

"Sure," Bob replied, not really sure he could. He was willing to try anything once. "Anything in particular you'd like?"

"Surprise me." Sam was getting louder. Nick just wanted the other man gone for the moment.

"Now I know what a gopher feels like," Dean groused. It felt like it had been hours since they'd climbed down the hole. In all actuality, it was more like an hour, hour and a half, tops. The demons were nowhere to be found. That fact concerned Dean. If they weren't here, where were they?

"If it makes you feel any better, Dean. The tunnel is widening up ahead," Derek said back quietly over his shoulder. The older man's knees and hands were sore from all the crawling. He was just as eager as Dean to have this all over. He wanted to check on the injured at the cabin and make sure that everyone in the area was safe.

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" Dean responded as he continued to shuffle forward. If the tunnel was getting larger that could mean that they were coming to a junction, not a good thing, or a cave, also not a good thing. Personally, Dean hoped for a cave. They could trap the demons inside the cave but first they'd have to make sure there were no more accesses. Not a thrilling thought. Somehow Dean figured the little creatures wouldn't be too welcoming.

"Neither right now," Derek called back. The sulphur smell was getting worse, if that was possible. The closer they got to the cave the warmer it was getting. If this wasn't a doorway to hell, Derek wasn't sure what else it could be.

The San Francisco Precept inched his way forward, his flashlight turned off. He didn't want to disturb the demons any more than necessary. It was still daylight above so they should be sleeping. Should be. He could feel the younger man's impatience burning at his back. Dean wanted to get back to his brother but first they had to deal with this.

Beyond the darkness in front of Derek's face he began to sense more depth and shades. There was a light source nearby. It wasn't very bright but it was enough that he was beginning to see the outline of the tunnel entrance. They were coming up on a cave. Derek could feel the sense of space just a few feet ahead. He didn't want to risk making any more noise than they all ready were so he chose to continue forward until he was just inside the entrance and could get a better appreciation of what they faced.

Damn, he thought as Derek took in the vaulted ceiling and football field sized room. There were thousands of the creatures sleeping on the ground, curled up like cats. The mere sight of it sent a shiver down his spine. Steeling himself, Derek took a deep breath and slipped out the hole. They were going to get this done or die trying.


	14. Chapter 14

_This is a little short and a little random but I hope you enjoy it anyway. Thanks as always for taking the time to read this story. Thank you especially to those who are taking the time to review._

_Susanne_

"Dean?" Sam breathed.

"Sorry, Sam, but he's not here right now," Nick said. Relief flooded through him. The younger man waking up was a good sign. A very good sign. He moved away from the window and came to stand beside the bed.

Not comforted by the knowledge that his brother wasn't here, Sam forced his heavy eye lids open and tried to sit up only to find that he couldn't. Sam was having trouble thinking his way through this one. He couldn't quite figure out who Nick was but he knew he was a friend. Sam also couldn't quite figure out why he was in so much pain. The last thing he could clearly remember was Dean and him driving down the winter road. How long ago was that?

"Where is he?" Sam managed as he looked around at the room he was in. Nothing about it was familiar. What the hell was going on? Blurrily, he turned his attention back to the man hovering over his bed.

"He's out with Derek, trying to deal with the demons," Nick stated. There was something not quite right about the way Sam was looking at him. The venom was wreaking havoc with more than just the boy's body. While not entirely unexpected, Nick wished Derek was here to deal with it. Security was Nick's responsibility, not medicine. Where were the girls when he needed them? Rachel and Alex were the medical people of their group. At least they were usually the ones to treat Nick when he got injured.

"Who's Derek?" slipped out before Sam thought about it. He wasn't sure he wanted to let this man know just how befuddled he really was. The name Nick kept coming to mind.

"My boss," Nick answered simply. Alarms were going full force in his mind. How long was it going to take the others to deal with the demons?

"We found you on the side of the road. Your car was wrecked," Sam stated suddenly. Fuzzy memories were slowly flickering in front of his eyes. Things were starting to make sense. Carefully, he reached up to his right shoulder and felt the bandages. So that's why his shoulders hurt so badly.

Relief flowed through Nick's system, almost making the pain in his leg disappear. "Yeah, that was me. We spent the night in the abandoned house with the military men," he added hoping to help.

"Oh, yeah, I remember them," Sam said distantly. As much as he was trying to stay awake, his eyes kept closing on him. As more memories returned, Sam took solace in the fact that Dean had decided to leave him with this person. Darkness enfolded him like a giant cape and the pain was gone.

"This day just keeps getting better," Dean muttered under his breath. He was trying to make his way through the cave and not step on a demon. The term 'pussy-footing' kept coming to mind. Looking at the creatures curled up around his feet made his skin crawl. A flame thrower might come in handy, he thought absently.

Derek was moving around the cave. He'd completed one circuit and was doing another just to make sure. The only entrance was the one they'd used except for a round hole in the middle of the cave. The edges were so encrusted with crystals of sulphur that it virtually fluoresced in the dark. The demons didn't appear to like the hole very well because there was an empty ring of about three feet all the way around it. That would make their job a little easier.

"Over here," Derek called out quietly to the younger man. As quickly as he could, the Precept began drawing the design they were going to need for the ritual. Even in the dim light he moved quickly. This was a familiar rite, he'd had to do it before but he still paid careful attention to what he was doing. Even the slightest imperfection and it would fail. Then the demons would know they were here.

Dean still really hated not being in charge. It went against his nature, especially when his little brother was injured and not within his range of influence. Gritting his teeth to keep from saying something nasty, Dean moved over to the older man. He automatically scanned the pictogram on the dirt floor to make sure it was right. He was slightly surprised to see that it was one he knew. Maybe these two knew what they were about after all.

"Here," Derek said as he handed over a flask to Dean. "You need to consecrate the entrance while I perform the ceremony."

"How much time do you need?" Dean asked as he watched the man rummage through his back and brought an old book out of it. He carefully set up his flashlight so he could see the page well enough to read the rite.

"Five minutes," Derek replied. Quietly, so as not to disturb the demons sleeping around them, Derek began the ceremony. In a low voice he carefully pronounced the words in Latin as prescribed.

"Okay," Dean replied. This was something he knew and understood. Even as they began to work together, Dean realized there were several words in the incantation that he recognized even though he didn't know the specific rite. There was just enough room for Dean to pace around the entrance, splashing the holy water over it. One part of him concentrated hard on what he was doing while the other part was desperately hoping that this worked so that he could get back to Sam. That was his number one priority. These demons were a distant second.

"This is dumb," Mack growled. They'd been waiting for two hours with no sign of the other men. There were also no signs of the demons. Mostly, he was just bored and cold. His first instinct was to go back to the cabin, find their two missing members and go the hell home.

"I agree," Jonas replied. He had just finished another circuit of the sheds. Amazingly enough they were still abandoned. There was a cold wind blowing, making the cold temperature that much worse. His thoughts kept turning to his men that weren't with him. Suddenly leaving Bob back at the cabin didn't seem like such a good idea. He also wondered how the other two were doing. By now they should have contacted Colonel Ryan, if they still could.

"Why are we here, Jonas?" Mack asked. For all they knew those demons had ripped the two men apart and were feasting on them. Looking at the hole, a chill ran up the ruddy complexioned man's spine. It seemed like it had been a very long time since he was warm.

"Because this is where the trail led us. If those two can kill the demons then we need to back them up. No matter how crazy we think it is," Jonas stated. To prevent further conversation, he turned his back to his friend and looked out over the field. The snow was kind of pretty, if you were bored enough to stare at it a while.

As Jonas watched the trees and bushes along the edges of the field, he realized that two of the black shapes were moving. Fishing out his binoculars, he looked closer at the shapes and was greatly relieved to see that it was his two men. Just then, all hell broke loose behind him as Mack let off multiple shots from his weapon. Within seconds his world diminished to killing little creatures as they erupted out of the hole. Nothing existed beyond that one reality.


	15. Chapter 15

It had started as a gentle breeze blowing in from the cave entrance and exiting through the hole. It didn't feel quite natural though, so Dean aimed his flashlight into the sulphur encrusted hole as he continued to sprinkle the holy water. What he saw was enough to make his blood run cold.

The light reflected off hundreds of white bones piled below the hole. The bones were all shapes and sizes so not all of them were human but far too many of them were. Something on the edge of the hole caught his attention. Careful of the pictogram, Dean leaned closer to see what it was. That chill got worse as he realized it was dried blood. Apparently they found where the politician and his family wound up.

What was wrong with people? Dean wondered. Something caught the light as he turned away. Dean paused long enough to pick up an old pocket watch. Absently he put it in his pocket as he became aware that the wind was getting worse.

Derek was reading the text when he noticed the wind. It wasn't usually part of the ritual. As he continued to read the wind increased in speed. A nagging doubt began in the corner of his mind. This wasn't quite right.

The first demons woke up just as the winds increased again, nearly taking Derek off his feet. He had more weight otherwise he too would be pulled screeching and mewing toward the hole along with the nearest demons.

"Dean! Watch out!" Derek shouted over the wind as more and more demons were sucked toward the hole.

Dean had just put the watch in his pocket when the first demon slid by his feet and fell into the hole. "Whoa!" Dean said as he pulled back from the hole, stepping on three other demons as they slid by.

Between the buffeting winds and the soft, moving shapes under his feet, Dean lost his balance. Before he had a chance to react, he was on the ground amid more of the demons as they were sucked down the vortex into the hole.

Struggle as he may, the eldest Winchester couldn't get to his feet with the bodies of more and more demons rolling under his hands as feet. The creatures, clearly terrified, clawed at Dean as they moved by him, trying to keep from going into the hole. Most of the claw marks were little more than scratches at his clothes as Dean tried still unsuccessfully to regain his feet. The wind howled by his ears blanking out all other sounds as dirt and other debris blew into his eyes and mouth. Just as Dean was about to be sucked down the hole along with the demons, a hand caught hold of him and began pulling him back.

In desperation, the demons flowing over Dean's body clawed at his legs and back, trying to keep from being sent back to hell. As their desperation grew, the further down Dean's body they moved, the deeper their claws bit into his clothes and then his flesh.

"Hold on!" Derek shouted as he pulled against the wind and the demons' claws to get the younger man away from the hole before it sealed. As he did so, Dean's left foot dragged across the pictogram, breaking the lines. With a pop the wind died instantly and the hole closed over like it was never there. The only evidence of it was the sulphur ring and the fifty or sixty demons that hadn't been pulled in yet.

Acting as one, the remaining demons rushed to their feet and raced toward the entrance. The only concern Derek had at the moment was the young man still lying on the ground, trying to suck air back into his lungs.

"Are you all right?" Derek asked as he knelt beside Dean. He shone his flashlight over the boy's legs and was appalled to see how many claw marks had found their mark. Under his tentative touch, he could feel Dean's muscles trembling all ready from the venom making its way into his system.

"Are they gone?" Dean asked as he forced his protesting body up into a standing position. He wasn't going to be left in here and if they didn't hurry the burning sensation he was feeling in his lower legs was going to spread and leave him as helpless as his brother.

Just then they heard the distant sound of gunfire. Apparently the demons had reached the surface. And so should they, as quickly as possible.

Upon hearing the gunfire, the other two Unit members broke into a run and b-lined toward the sheds. They were very relieved to see Jonas and Mack but they stopped dead after noticing the pile of demon bodies.

"What the hell?" Hector Williams demanded as he stared at the mess.

"I'll explain later," Jonas shouted over his shoulder as the last of the demons came piling out of the hole. With careful efficiency, he and Mack took out the rest of them and then waited, fully expecting to see the two men come out as well. They didn't.

"Do we go down there after them?" Mack asked. He nodded at Williams and Grey. He was greatly relieved to see the other two men. As much as he was able to work in complete autonomy, Mack always felt a little more whole when he had the others around.

Jonas looked around at three members of his unit. He knew that Grey was the smallest of them and would fit in the hole easier but he was hesitant to send any of them in there. Who knew what was going on?

As they watched, the demon bodies began to boil in the light slanting in the shed doorway and then they slowly melted away into a little bit of ash.

"I'm going to want to see the incident report on this one," Hector muttered as he looked at the others. None of this was making sense.

"You and me both," Grey muttered in agreement as they watched the ash blow away on the breeze.

The tunnel was too narrow for Derek to help Dean walk. Both of them were forced onto their hands and knees but as they moved further along, Dean became weaker. The Precept had made Dean go first. Now he was regretting that decision as the younger man slowed down further.

"Are you going to make it?" Derek asked as Dean paused to catch his breath yet again. Even in the darkness, Derek could feel the waves of heat coming off Dean's legs. With the exertion of getting themselves out of the hole, the venom was moving faster, taking a stronger hold of the man's systems.

"Yeah, I'll be fine," Dean lied. His legs were on fire as the venom found his bloodstream and had begun to make the rounds. Panting, he looked up to see how much further they had to go. At the moment it seemed like miles.

Patiently, Derek waited as the younger man built up his strength to continue. If the tunnel were larger he'd slip by Dean and pull him along. That wasn't an option, however. He watched as Dean steeled himself and then began crawling again. It was the only way out.

"Did you hear something?" Mack asked. He'd thought he'd heard voices wafting up from the hole. So far none of the demons had spoken so it couldn't be there. Hopefully Dean and Derek were the only people down there so it must be them.

Crouching over the hole, Jonas called down into it. "Hello! Do you need help?"

They'd stopped again. Dean's considerable strength was ebbing quickly. Derek didn't want either of them to get stuck in here when he heard Jonas's call.

"Yes, we need help!" Derek called past Dean. In the dim light from the entrance he could see the grimace of frustration cross Dean's face. "Dean's been injured."

"Great," Jonas said, glancing again at his men. "Mr. Grey, I need you to climb in the hole and help Dean and Derek out."

For a heartbeat the shorter man stared at his superior. Mr. Grey was usually the technical expert of the Unit. He was also the medic. What his team mates didn't know about the dark haired man was that he didn't like enclosed places. He fought it when he needed to but looking at the dark hole that looked barely big enough to fit one person much less three made his heart skip a few beats. Taking a deep breath, he removed his bulky jacket and his pack before moving to the tunnel.

"How far in are you?" Grey called in. The darkness was complete except for the random flickering of the two flashlight beams but distances were deceiving.

"About a hundred feet or so," Derek called back. Dean had sunk down and lay on his back. The less he moved the less the venom burned through his limbs. If they were willing to help, at this point who was he to argue?

"Okay," Grey said as he tied a rope from his bag to his middle and handed the other end to Mack who was closest to the hole. The last thing he wanted was to get stuck. Gritting his teeth, he slipped inside.


	16. Chapter 16

The two men were trapped further in than Derek had indicated. Grey could feel sweat soaking through his shirt as he finally reached them. "Hi," he said rather lamely. The dim light from the tunnel sparkled off of Dean's sweat soaked hair. He could feel the heat coming off the younger man's body in waves.

Dean had the energy to shine his flashlight on the newcomer's face before it fell from his numb fingers. The poison was spreading, he felt terrible. No wonder Sam had slept so much. It was all he really felt capable of doing. Getting out of the hole suddenly didn't seem quite so important. If Sam were here with him at the moment, he'd be perfectly happy to just stay where he was. Bile rose in his throat as nausea assailed him. Swallowing reflexively, he managed to roll onto his side, just in case.

"He's been poisoned," Derek informed the man. Over Dean's body, he'd seen that this was not someone he knew but he was willing to take any help he could get. "We're going to have to get him out of here because he doesn't have the strength to do it himself at the moment."

"Okay," the Unit member said, anything to get the hell out of here. Dean's head and shoulders were closest to him so Grey caught hold of the man's collar and began shimming his way back out. The man was little more than dead weight. As dirt ground into his legs, moans escaped Dean's lips but he didn't have the strength to fight.

Dean could feel his body being dragged through the dirt but he couldn't quite seem to care. In the flickering darkness, his eyes kept sliding closed as his grip on consciousness became tenuous. The pain in his legs was beginning to kick into high gear and the burning was spreading into his upper legs. A small groan slipped from his lips as he was pulled forward. Each jolt forward sent shockwaves of pain through his body.

"This isn't going to work," Charlie Grey muttered. There just wasn't enough room. By the time he got the other man to the surface he was going to be asphyxiated from him pulling on his collar. As much as he hated to do it, Charlie untied the rope around his waist and struggled to get it around Dean's chest and under his arms.

"We're going to have to use the rope to get him out of here," he informed the older man over Dean's still body. He couldn't tell if the other man was sleeping or unconscious, all he knew was that he was still breathing. A good first step. Quiet moans slipped through Dean's clenched teeth with each breath. His eyes were screwed shut in pain. Charlie had to give him credit. Any other civilian would be screaming by now.

"Whatever works. The longer we stay down here, the sicker he's going to be," Derek stated. He too was starting to feel a little claustrophobic. The San Francisco Precept also wanted to get Dean back to the cabin as soon as they could. Every minute meant the venom was spreading further.

"Just give me a minute," Grey said as he shimmied backward out of the hole. Sweaty and covered in dirt, Charlie climbed out of the hole.

"I've tied the rope around him. It's the only way we're going to get him out of there," he informed his companions. Mack, Jonas and Hector caught hold of the rope and began pulling it in slow but steadily. Then finally Dean's head and shoulders popped out of the hole.

It took five minutes in actual fact but Derek saw the younger man being pulled out the hole. "Finally," he muttered under his breath. While he waited, Derek had been shining his flashlight onto Dean's legs. His jeans were shredded from the knee down. He was wearing leather boots but they too were shredded beyond repair. Blood seeped through the slits onto his fingers as he explored beneath the material. The thing that was particularly disconcerting was that Dean didn't even react to his ministrations. One thought kept playing through Derek's mind. Nick was going to kill him for not protecting the younger man.

By the time Derek managed to pull himself out of the tunnel, the Unit members had Dean wrapped up in blankets and were carrying him over to the snow mobile. He could hear the four men talking quietly among themselves but he was hard-pressed to catch up with them. As a result, he didn't hear what they were discussing but he wasn't sure he really wanted to know. Derek paused long enough to pick up the discarded packs, and then he was trudging through the snow. He didn't have to worry about them taking off without him, he had the keys.

"What the hell happened?" Nick demanded as Dean was carried into the cabin. The trip back had been cramped but eventually they got there. Dean's face was pale and slick with sweat. He appeared to be unconscious. It seemed somehow unnatural for him to be so still and silent. A chill clamoured up Nick's spine.

"We closed the portal and got rid of the demons," Derek answered helpfully. He knew that wasn't what his security officer wanted to discuss but it just came out.

"How by using Dean for bait?" Nick demanded. He trailed after the Unit members as they carried their burden up to the same room as Sam. There wasn't another bed but they had enough blankets to be able to make him comfortable on the ground. Jonas all ready knew better than to try to separate the two brothers.

"The rite didn't work out quite as expected. There were complications," Derek admitted as he too climbed up the stairs. He was going to have to mix up more of the poultice he'd used on Sam. He needed to get as much of the poison out as he could. He bypassed the bedroom and headed for the bathroom where he had his medical supplies.

"Who are you?" Nick asked as Grey and Hector carefully put the eldest Winchester on the blankets they'd laid out. Jonas and Mack had retreated to the hallway, the small bedroom was starting to feel a little crowded.

"They work with me," Jonas replied simply. That was all the explanation they were going to get.

"That's what I thought," Nick breathed as he hovered over Dean, lying on top of the blankets. Shifting his injured leg to a more comfortable position, Nick knelt down and began carefully pulling the strips of cloth out of the wounds. The material was caked with blood, venom and dirt. Thanks to the tunnel, his wounds were even dirtier than Sam's had been.

"Do you need us for anything else?" Jonas asked as his men gathered in the hallway. He had a terrible urge to get his men as far away from these strange circumstances as possible but he wasn't willing to abandon the others either. There was a bond there as well, he still had to deal with the politician's disappearance. Instinctively he knew he was going to need the civilians' help to solve this riddle.

"No, not right now," Nick stated as he continued his examination. He'd thought Sam's wounds were ugly. Frustrated, he pulled his pocket knife out of his back pocket and began cutting the material away. "Bob's downstairs sleeping on the couch, at least he was the last time I saw him."

"Yell if you need anything," Jonas stated before he motioned to his men and headed down the steps. They were better off staying out of the way.

Reaching up, Nick snagged the bowl of water he'd been using to cool Sam's fever. Now he used the water and the cloth to gently rub at the first of many furrows in Dean's legs. As soon as he touched the wet cloth to his skin, Dean moaned loudly and tried unsuccessfully to pull his leg away. Even unconscious the pain was overwhelming for him.

"This isn't going to be pleasant," Nick muttered to himself as he hunkered down to finish what he'd started. Dean's life depended on it. He could hear Derek tinkering in the bathroom. He could only hope his boss could make some more of the poultice in time to do some good.


	17. Chapter 17

_Thank you to everyone taking the time to review this story and those of you just reading. I'm always surprised that anyone finds my stories interesting or worth taking the time to bother with. _

_I'm not sure where in the Supernatural seasons this story sits. I realized that today as I was writing. It's definitely after Season one but before the deal to save Sam. I guess that makes it Season two, right?_

So far luck was on their side and Sam had remained unaware of his brother's presence. Nick was hopeful that would continue but reality quickly set in. He had stripped Dean down to his boxers so he could get to his legs easier. Now with a canteen of holy water, the ex-Navy seal began to pour the contents on the first of many furrows in the younger man's skin.

As soon as the liquid hit the open wounds it began to bubble. Dean's muscles tightened as he rode the waves of pain flashing through his nerve endings. He managed to keep from calling out for a full ten seconds. Then a small moan escaped Dean's lips as Nick continued to pour the holy water onto his skin.

"I'm sorry," Nick soothed as he gently tried to wipe the dirt and debris out of the first furrow. As soon as he touched the wound with the cloth, a much louder moan was ripped from the elder Winchester as he screwed his eyes shut. Unconsciously, Dean's hands fisted the blankets on either side of him, anything to keep from waking Sammy.

"Dean?" Sam's voice floated down to him from the bed.

"It's okay, Sammy," Dean lied, trying desperately to make his voice as normal as possible. "Just go back to sleep."

"What's wrong?" Sam asked. Even through the pain muffling his senses, Dean could tell that his kid brother was still very weak. So he was somewhat surprised to see Sam's head come over the side of the bed and look down at him. "What the hell?!"

"It's nothing, Sam. Go back to sleep," Dean said. His comment came out harsher than he'd intended as more pain spiked. Nick was cleaning the wounds as quickly as he could. There wasn't much he could do for the pain except get it over with.

"That's not nothing, Dean," Sam argued as he tried to get up from the bed. A strong hand caught his right shoulder and forced the weakened man back onto the mattress. Sam looked up to find Derek shaking his head at him.

"We're doing everything that can be done. You need to get your own strength back before you can help your brother," Derek instructed. He skirted around the foot of the bed and knelt down beside his subordinate, the poultice in a large bowl.

"How's he doing?" he asked in a much quieter voice. Derek was aware of the other man hanging on everything they said. Looking at the wounds himself, he felt his stomach do a few flips and bile rose into his throat. It was probably the nastiest thing he'd ever seen.

Nick didn't even bother to respond. He'd gotten the first one as clean as he could and was moving onto the next one. He wasn't going to run out of them anytime soon. The ex-Seal was carefully schooling his own body to keep from reacting. Dean wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. Even if they managed to keep him alive.

"Just get it over with," Dean grunted through clenched teeth. His fingers had torn holes into the blankets. His body was shaking as the venom made its way further into him. As hard as he tried to stay still when Nick applied the cloth to wipe away more blood and dirt Dean's leg pulled away involuntarily.

"This is only going to get worse," Nick warned him as he pulled Dean's leg back to where he could reach it. The wounds were weeping dark, grainy blood which helped to clean them somewhat. But as he worked, Nick could see the younger man falling further under the venom's spell. Dean's skin was slick with sweat and yet cool to the touch.

"Ya think?" Dean grated. He moved his hands to a new section of the blanket so he wasn't cutting into his hands with his finger nails. Nick was relentless with pouring the water and rubbing. It felt like the man was using extremely rough sand paper and battery acid. Closing his eyes, he hoped desperately that unconsciousness would claim him. No such luck.

While the two Legacy members weren't looking, Sam shuffled sideways until he could see what they were doing. His shoulders ached in sympathy. "Did you get them?" he asked to distract himself from his brother's discomfort.

"Yes," Derek responded as he glanced up at the youngest Winchester. Frustration passed over the older man's face when he saw where Sam was but he was too busy holding Dean's legs down to do anything about it. "The rite didn't work quite as expected. A wind came up and tried to pull your brother into the pit."

"So how did he get all scratched up?" Sam demanded. Weak or not, he wanted to know what happened. He hated to see his brother injured.

"It was sucking in the demons as well. They didn't appreciate it and tried to use Dean to stop from going in," Derek continued, his voice was a little strained as he fought against the younger man's muscular legs. It would have been a lot easier if he didn't have to worry about causing more damage.

"I don't understand," Nick said without looking up from his work. He was nearly finished with the top of Dean's legs and was going to have to get him to roll over in a minute or two. "That's never happened before."

"I don't understand either. Whoever created the spell must have been an amateur, otherwise they would have disappeared once their job was done," Derek said.

"How sure are we that killing the senator was the reason for summoning them?" Nick asked. Talking helped keep his mind on things other than what he was touching. It was all rather similar to feeling cold, slimy, dead fish.

"I'm not sure. I haven't had much time to do any more research," Derek responded.

"Check my coat pocket," Dean grated. He'd just remembered the watch. Maybe it was a clue. Nausea was rolling through his stomach as the pain increased. Why couldn't he just pass out like a normal person?

"Later," Nick said. He finished cleaning the wounds he could easily reach. "We've got to roll him over."

"Do you have any alcohol?" Dean asked. He was willing to try just about anything at the moment.

"Yeah, sure, sorry, I should have thought of that myself," Nick said as he handed over a large bottle of rye. Without giving the man a chance to take a swig, he caught hold of Dean's shoulders while Derek took hold of his legs and flipped him.

"What the hell, dude?" Dean demanded in a muffled voice. Now that he was lying on his stomach, Dean couldn't drink the liquor anyway. The pain in his legs got worse, taking his breath away. As he struggled to draw air into his lungs against the fabric of the blankets and the agony of his legs, Dean finally got his wish and passed out.

"Is he going to be okay? Do you need to put him on the bed?" Sam asked, concern making him inch closer. Dean's legs looked horrible. Tears sprang unbidden to Sam's dark grey eyes. The thought that his brother might not survive kept racing through his mind. Sitting on the bed, he felt as if his world was cracking down the middle. How would he live if his brother died?


	18. Chapter 18

After an eternity, Nick and Derek finished cleaning Dean's legs as best they could given their limited resources at the moment. Sitting back, Nick wiped sweat off his forehead and gazed down at their work. A movement beside him drew his attention to Sam. The youngest Winchester looked almost as bad as his brother. Which wasn't really surprising as they'd both ran into the same demons.

"Is he going to be okay?" Sam asked from his position on the bed. The younger man's voice sounded so much younger than he was that it momentarily took Nick by surprise. Gathering his features, he kept the emotion from registering as he nodded his head.

"Yes, he should be just fine. We're going to have to stay here for a few days while the two of you heal enough to travel," Nick reassured him. Used to being the younger brother, Nick was surprised by his need to comfort the younger man. Clearly Sam was able to handle himself under some pretty intense circumstances but Nick still felt the need to protect him. He glanced at Dean, now deeply unconscious on the floor. He felt the same way about the elder Winchester as well. What the hell was going on with him?

"Thank God," Sam breathed as he collapsed back onto the bed. It seemed like he'd been holding his breath for the last two hours while the two Legacy members worked on his brother. With Nick's words, Sam felt the weight of the world leave his shoulders and his heart. His brother was going to be okay. All was right with the world. He swallowed unshed tears as he stared up at the ceiling.

"Is he okay to stay on the floor like this?" Nick asked. They had a lot of blankets around Dean but it was still chilly this close to the ground. Hot air rose after all.

"There is no other bed in this room. I assumed the brother would want to stay together," Derek replied. He too was aware of the difference in temperature. While the cool would help fight off a fever, it wouldn't help much with keeping infection at bay. Dean's immune system was going to be under attack for the next while. He didn't need a reduced body temperature to interfere with his internal defences.

"There's room on the bed," Sam assured them. There wasn't really but he didn't want to be separated from his brother. Not right now anyway.

The two Legacy members stood and looked at Sam with open scepticism. Sam carefully shifted his lanky frame to the far side of the bed, trying to make as much room as possible. He knew Dean was going to have to lie on his stomach since the wounds on the back of his legs were the worst. Sam figured he could lie on his side. Sam's wounds weren't nearly that bad now that he'd had some time to heal. At least he didn't think so.

"I'm not sure, Sam," Nick began. "When the fever hits he's going to be thrashing around. I don't want Dean to accidently hurt you."

"I don't care. If it'll help Dean heal faster, I'll share the bed with him," Sam stated. It was the most determination Nick had seen in the younger man. It gave him some hope.

"Okay. We'll move him up beside you but one of us will stay with you at all times, just to keep an eye on things," Nick said. He hadn't bothered to check his boss for his opinion. He assumed Derek would tell him if he was totally out of line. Derek usually did. Nodding at his superior, Nick pulled Sam's blankets back and then he and Derek gently picked up the still unconscious Dean and placed him on the bed.

"I'll take the first shift," Nick said as he pulled the blankets up over the elder Winchester. Now that the demons were gone and Dean was fixed up, Nick felt an overwhelming exhaustion creeping up his limbs but he couldn't bring himself to leave the brothers just yet.

"You need some rest, Nick," Derek stated. It was still daylight outside. It seemed kind of an odd time to go to sleep anyway. After everything that had happened so far, Derek wasn't sure he'd be able to sleep even if he bothered to try.

"So do you," Nick responded as he picked up the supplies they'd used and the blankets that were still clean. The others he bundled up and put in the clothes hamper in the next room. Satisfied that the room was as clean as he was going to get it, Nick pulled the chair over to the window. Sitting heavily into the fabric, Nick picked up a blanket he left behind and covered himself.

"I'll come up and check on the three of you in a couple of hours," Derek promised as he left the room. Carefully he pulled the door mostly closed behind him and then climbed down the stairs.

"How is he doing?" Jonas asked. He and his men were spread around the living room. Bob was propped up on the couch to make room for the others. He still looked a little grey in the face and very tired but he was upright.

"He's going to be sick for a while but he should be fine," Derek replied on his way by. The Legacy Precept had a sudden urge for a good strong cup of coffee. He headed into the kitchen and began brewing a fresh pot.

"Are those things really gone?" Mack asked. He'd tagged along behind the older man. Standing in the doorway of the kitchen, he leaned against the door frame while he watched Derek work.

"Yes. Those that escaped being sent back to hell you and your companion dispatched," Derek replied as he puttered around the kitchen. Food would probably be a good idea. His stomach rumbled loudly in agreement.

"What did you see down in that tunnel?" Mack asked. The curiosity got the better of him. As much as he hated this otherworldly stuff they were dealing with, he still wanted to know.

"Demons," Derek answered as he dragged pots and such out of the cupboards. "There were a lot of them but I wasn't as close to the hole as Dean was. Once he's feeling better maybe he can give you more details.

"Now that you mention it, Dean did say something about a watch when he was awake. I forgot to look for it," Derek added.

"A watch?" Jonas asked from the living room. He hadn't really meant to but he'd listened in on the conversation.

"Yes, Dean said it was in his jacket," Derek supplied helpfully as he began to prepare a meal.

Not waiting to see where the rest of the conversation would take the two men, Jonas turned and headed up the stairs toward the bedroom. Slipping through the door, he glanced at Nick and then the two sleeping Winchesters. Sam looked a little better but Dean looked like crap.

Nick looked at the taller man expectantly. He didn't really want to say anything in case he disturbed the two younger men. Picking up on his intentions, Jonas kept his voice low. "Your boss mentioned a watch?"

"Oh, yeah," Nick replied as he struggled to his feet and quietly made his way toward Dean's discarded jacket in the corner of the room. Fishing in the pockets he found several items that he wouldn't have expected but they were all supernatural in nature. Finally he found the gold watch on a broken chain. Nick handed it over to Jonas.

"Where exactly did he find this?" Jonas inquired. He was examining the watch, carefully turning it over in his hands. His stomach was churning. As he cracked open the casing, his stomach plummeted. There they were, the senator's initials.

"I assume in the tunnel," Nick replied. "I haven't really had a chance to ask him what went on down there."

"Let me know when he's conscious and coherent," Jonas ordered. "I need to speak to him as soon as possible."

"Well, I don't expect him to come around for several hours but I'll let you know when he does."

Nodding his head, Jonas slipped the watch into his pocket and exited the room as quietly as he'd entered it. Nick watched him leave and then turned his attention back to the two men. The sun was starting to set outside the windows. Rather than use the harsh light of the overhead bulb, Nick lit a gas lantern and set it on the bedside table. He needed to be able to see but he didn't want to disturb the brothers if he could help it. They were going to need all the sleep they could get.

"I think we've found the senator," Jonas announced as he entered the living room. His men turned toward him, almost expecting the politician to be standing behind him. Pulling the watch out where they could see it. "This was his. My information says that he never went anywhere without. It had sentimental value, it belonged to his grandfather. Here are his initials."

"Where did that come from?" Charles asked. He was sitting beside Bob. The youngest Unit member was resting his leg up on the coffee table and had his injured arm clasped protectively across his stomach. Otherwise there was no outward indication that he was in pain. Just what Charles would expect from a Unit member. If he didn't know the man as well as he did, he would have missed the lines of pain in the corners of his eyes and his mouth.

"Apparently Dean found it in the tunnel," Jonas explained. Unconsciously he glanced up to the ceiling to where the younger man was sleeping. They needed him awake and alert but he wasn't willing at the moment to force the issue. At least not yet.


	19. Chapter 19

_Hi everyone. I'm sorry this is a shorter chapter but shorter is better than nothing, right? I hope to do better this week but we'll see how things go. Thanks, as always, to everyone who is taking the time to read this story. I especially want to thank the faithful few who keep reviewing as well. Your comments keep me going!_

_Susanne_

Now that the sun had set, the only light in the room came from the oil lantern on the bedside table. In the semi-dark, Nick was having a hard time staying awake. His own injuries were making themselves known but he pushed the pain away. He wasn't ready to relinquish the responsibility of watching the brothers to anyone else, even his boss.

Shifting in the chair to find a less comfortable position, Nick glanced at the two sleeping men. Sam had rolled onto his side facing Dean. Even sound asleep he needed to know his brother was nearby. Sam was resting his hand on his brother's shoulder. For his part Dean seemed completely insensate, which was probably for the best. The wounds under the bandages on his legs were starting to weep through.

Nick pried his protesting body out of the chair and made his way downstairs. He needed supplies and probably a little help to change them. Reaching the bottom of the stairs, he looked into the living room as he made his way to the kitchen. The military men were sitting by the fire. Bob looked like he was sleeping sitting up but the others were just staring at the flames.

In the kitchen Nick found Derek putting the final touches on supper. "How are they?" he asked when he saw his security officer enter the room. Nick looked like hell but he wasn't going to say it.

"They're both sleeping. Dean's bandages need to be cleaned. Do we have any more?" Nick asked. The food smelled wonderful. His stomach growled loudly as he realized he couldn't remember the last time he'd eaten anything.

"Yes, they're in the cupboard in the bathroom, along with the rest of the poultice," Derek informed him. "Stay and have something to eat. Afterward I'll help you."

As much as Nick hated to leave the brothers alone, his body was demanding that he pay attention to it if only for a few moments. Defeated, he sank into the nearest chair as Derek dished out a helping of the stew he'd made. Within minutes, everyone on the main floor was eating hungrily.

Sam was awake as soon as they turned the overhead light on. Nick moved over to the other side of the bed, determined to get this over with as quickly as possible.

"What's going on?" Sam demanded. He looked apprehensively between the two men and his brother. Fear burned brightly through his system. The pain of his own shoulders disappeared into the background.

"We need to change Dean's bandages," Nick replied as he began to remove the soiled ones circling the younger man's legs. Maybe he should have done this before supper. He swallowed convulsively to keep the stew where it belonged. The smell was awful, even worse than anything Sam had had to endure.

"So soon?" Sam asked, his voice kind of squeaky. In the light he looked down his brother's body and took in the yellow and black discharge soaking through the white bandages. His stomach plummeted. "I thought you cleaned his wounds."

"We did. The poultice is drawing out the venom just as it should," Derek assured him as he helped strip off the soiled cloth. He too had to gulp back bile at the look and smell of the wounds. If he didn't know any better he'd think Dean's legs were full of gangrene. Not enough time had passed for that to be an option. At least he hoped so.

Sam gagged as the smell wafted up to him. Tears pricked the corners of his eyes as he saw the ravaged flesh of his brother's legs. "Oh God," he breathed.

As quickly as possible, the two men carefully cleaned the wounds, reapplied the poultice and fresh bandages. Dean's muscles went into spasms under their fingers and the occasional moan escaped his lips but otherwise he didn't react at all to their ministrations.

Once they were finished, Nick turned his attention to Sam. The youngest Winchester was showing signs of shock. He continued to stare at his brother's legs even though all he could see were the bandages. Nick rested a hand on his nearest shoulder, trying to get him to acknowledge his presence.

"Sam?" Nick was finally forced to ask as he gently shook the shoulder. With great effort, Sam pulled his dark grey eyes away from his brother and turned to look Nick in the eye. Sam's eyes were glazed. Nick wasn't sure how much he was seeing was actually registering. "Sam?"

With a physical effort, Sam forced his eyes to focus. "Yeah," he said, licking his lips and running his hand through his hair. This was supposed to be an easy hunt. What happened to that?

"There' s stew downstairs. I think you should eat some and then try to get some sleep. Dean's not going to wake up tonight," Derek said as he bundled up the supplies and the used bandages.

"I'm not hungry," Sam muttered, his eyes being drawn back to his brother. His stomach growled loud enough that Nick knew he was lying.

"I want you to eat some of it anyway," Nick ordered. "You need to get your strength back."

Derek left with the supplies and returned a few minutes later with a bowl of stew. The smell seemed to revive Sam's appetite as he accepted the bowl gratefully and dug in. Food had never tasted so good.

While he waited for Sam to finish, Nick sat heavily onto the chair. His leg had begun to tremble with weakness. As much as Nick hated to admit defeat, he was going to have to turn the watch duty over to someone else. Derek had noticed his friend collapse onto the chair.

"I'll stay with him," the elder Legacy member said as he pulled the smaller man to his feet and steered him toward the bedroom across the hall.

"Wake me if anything changes," Nick instructed as he allowed Derek to force him down onto the bed. Then Derek pulled a blanket up over him. Almost instantly, his grey eyes closed and he sank into oblivion.

Derek paused long enough to see Nick's breathing deepen and even out before he headed back to the Winchesters' room. Sam had finished the stew. He'd taken the time to place the empty bowl on the ground beside the bed before curling up on his side facing his brother. Sitting in the chair that Nick had so recently vacated, Derek gazed at the two men. They both looked so damned young!

Time passed slowly. Derek wasn't sure if it was because he was tired or because there wasn't much to do sitting in the dark room. It took nearly everything he had to keep his eyes open. Shaking his head, Derek looked at the two men again. Sam was curled up as much as he could on the bed, increasing the impression of being young. For his part, Dean was shifting around a little.

As he watched, Dean began to thrash a little bit harder. The younger man was definitely having a nightmare. Pulling himself out of the chair, Derek covered the distance between them in three strides. He laid a reassuring hand on Dean's closest shoulder and shook it a few times. The young man was muttering under his breath. Leaning in, Derek heard a few of the words, just enough to send a spike of fear through his heart. There was more to these two than even he'd imagined.


	20. Chapter 20

_I'm really sorry this is so short. I was hoping it was longer once I pasted it over but I'd rather submit this the way it is than spend another few hours adding to it. I'll update again very soon, I promise!!_

_There are references in this chapter to events from the series. I don't own them, the original writers do but they had to be added for Derek to understand the brothers better!_

_Anyway, I hope you enjoy this even with its shortness!_

_Susanne_

The next morning dawned early as Derek realized they needed to change Dean's bandages as well as Sam's. The elder Winchester had slept fitfully through the night while Sam slept like a log. Derek figured it had more to do with his brother being beside him so he could sleep better.

Wanting to be prepared when Nick woke up, Derek headed into the bathroom long enough to grab the supplies he was going to need. On his way by, Derek paused in the doorway of Nick's room. He knew his security chief was injured as well and trying desperately to downplay his pain and discomfort. Concerned despite himself, he looked to see if Nick was sleeping. All he could see was Nick's back and the back of his head since he was sprawled on his stomach with his head turned toward the far wall. But his breathing seemed fairly deep and regular so Derek left him as he was.

Back in the Winchester's room, the San Francisco precept gently took Sam's pulse. As soon as he touched the younger man's neck images of fire, blood, demons and pain flashed through his mind. Gasping, Derek tried to sort through the images, to make sense of them. Derek was psychic. It was a gift that often came in handy doing the job he did. At the moment, though, he was feeling overwhelmed by the intensity and multitude of images.

_A woman was up on a ceiling, her white dress marred by a blossoming redness across her stomach as flames spread around her. _

_A body was being burnt in some kind of burial rite. Beside him, Derek could see Dean watching as the flames enveloped the body. One impression came through. Dad._

_The world sent dark slowly as pain spread through his back. The darkness was all encompassing as his soul moved off toward the other side. Then his soul was being forced back into his body. Derek felt his eyes flicker open and come to rest on a dilapidated room and Dean in the hallway._

_A dark figure was standing over him. He was too young to understand who or what it was. The figure bent over and began to dribble something into his mouth. Fire burned through his veins._

_Pain exploded in his head as fuzzy images of a window falling on a man's head flashed through his mind._

_A man laughed at him. As Derek watched the man's eyes turned yellow. Derek recognized him instantly._

_A multitude of demons being exorcised, spirits being salted and burned and numerous other supernatural entities being dealt with flew through his mind. _

Finally the contact was broken. Derek staggered back a few steps, trying to recover himself. A single name kept echoing through his mind Azazel. Blinking, he tried to comprehend everything that he'd seen and what the import was of it all. Now the fact that Dean had mentioned the demon's name while having his nightmare started to make a little more sense.

Sinking down into the chair, Derek looked at the two men with new eyes. They were young but at least as qualified as any Legacy member he could think of, including himself. The thought was sobering. From the impressions he'd gotten, the precept knew that they had limited resources and barbaric tools compared to most of the ones they had access to. If they could accomplish the things he'd seen imagine what they'd do with unlimited resources such as they had?

Sam moaned quietly. Then his eyes fluttered open. As Derek watched, the youngest Winchester took a moment to remember where he was. The next thought was for his brother. Forcing his body up, ignoring the ripping of his own wounds, Sam rested a hand on Dean's neck to check his pulse. He could feel the heat radiating off his older brother.

"We've gotten some of the venom out of his system but some still got through. I'm afraid he's going to be sicker before he gets better," Derek informed him. He was mildly surprised when he saw the younger man jump slightly. Evidently Sam hadn't noticed he was there.

"Where's Nick?" Sam asked. He was more used to the security chief. Derek reminded him in a perverse way of his father. The association made him a little uncomfortable around the older man.

"Right here," Nick stated as he entered the room. Looking a little sleepy and dishevelled, the shorter man glanced at his boss and then at the brothers. Concern spiked through his system as soon as he took in Dean's general appearance and the awful coloured discharge on his bandages.

"Good morning, Nick," Derek said. "We're going to have to change both of their bandages before I go rest for a while. After that I'd like to talk to you."

"Sure, Derek, but let's do Dean's dressings before he wakes up. I don't think this is going to be pleasant," Nick suggested. He was instantly aware that Jonas was standing behind him in the door way. The Unit members had spent the night downstairs. Now that the sun was up, their leader wanted to know what was going on.

"Do you need any help?" the tall man asked. There was a sickly sweet smell in the air of the bedroom. He recognized it as the smell of infection. Dean wasn't doing nearly as well as he'd hoped. Clearly, he wasn't going to be able to question the younger man for a while. Jonas figured the Senator was dead if Dean found his watch inside the demon hole but he had to have confirmation of some kind to present to Colonel Ryan and his superiors. The watch itself wasn't enough. Until he got that proof he and his men were going to have to stay in the cabin.

"I'm not sure," Derek said. "It'll depend on how much he struggles."


	21. Chapter 21

_Still a little short but definitely a fast update, right? I'll try to write a longer chapter next time, I promise!_

_Susanne_

The only thing Dean was aware of was pain burning through his legs all the way up to his hips. It felt like his legs were on fire as he shifted, trying to get away. Hands caught hold of him, holding him in the flames. Grunting, Dean tried again only to find that he didn't have the strength. The pain continued unabated and then it intensified to the point where his body couldn't take any more and his mind shut down.

Small groans escaped from the elder Winchester's mouth as the two Legacy members struggled to clean his wounds. Gritting his teeth, Nick dabbed at the larger of the gashes, trying to get down to healthy flesh. What Dean really needed was to have his wounds debrided. The venom had caused the cells along the gashes to die. The last time they'd cleaned Dean's legs the extent of the damage hadn't been obvious. Now, Nick's stomach heaved as he rinsed the cloth in the now pinky-brown water.

"Is it as bad as it looks?" Sam asked. To give Derek and Nick some more room, he'd been moved over to the chair. Sam was sitting forward to protect his own wounds on his back. If he had the strength, the youngest Winchester would have been pacing the room. The damage was beyond his wildest imaginings. The smell alone was enough to turn Sam's stomach. He couldn't see as well as he'd like. It killed Sam to allow anyone else fix his brother, even Nick.

"It's not good," Nick replied. Beside him Derek was using an antiseptic wash on the wounds that he'd managed to get clean. The whole process was going to take a lot longer than he'd hoped. Still unconscious, Dean tried to pull his leg away from their ministrations. It didn't take much to keep it in place but it certainly didn't help them.

"Here," Jonas said. He'd stayed at the doorway, ignoring his own stomach's reaction to the sights and smells. Sitting on the bed, he positioned himself to hold Dean's legs so the other two could work.

"Thanks," Nick said. He paused in his ministrations long enough to wipe a trembling hand across his mouth and then his forehead. Then he turned his attention back to his patient.

"We're going to need more bandages and clean water," Derek said. This was much worse than he'd anticipated. Where were Alex and Rachel when you needed them? While he worked, the precept compiled a list of the nearest houses in his head. They needed help that didn't involve regular channels. A regularly trained doctor wouldn't have a clue how to treat these wounds much less how to save the man's life and soul.

"Is there any anti-venom available?" Nick asked. It was a long shot even if they could find it in time. As he looked down at the back of Dean's head, he saw trails of sweat running through his hair. They needed to get his temperature down. Now.

Without explaining, Nick climbed off the bed and headed for the bathroom. The security chief plugged the drain and then turned the cold water on. Back to the room and he stripped off all of Dean's clothes except his boxers.

"What are you doing?" Sam demanded as he tried to gain his feet.

"He's burning up. There's no use cleaning the wounds if his mind fries first," Nick explained as he tried to pull Dean off the bed. All he managed to do was get Dean rolled onto his back and into a sitting position before his own injured leg threatened to give out. Then a hand caught hold of both him and Dean.

Jonas set Nick on the bed so he could regain his balance. He pulled Dean the rest of the way up and carried him fireman style to the bathroom. He knew enough about field medicine that the easiest way to get down a high body temperature was to submerse the person in water. The sound of running water kind of tipped him off as well.

As carefully as he could manage, Jonas dumped the younger man into the water. Turning the tap off, he made sure that Dean wasn't going to drown before leaving to make room for Nick and Derek.

"Thanks," Nick said as he slipped by. If he was functioning at a hundred percent, he could have done that as well. Or at least he liked to think so. Settling on the closed toilet, Nick grabbed a wash cloth and soaked Dean's head.

"There is no anti-venom," Derek said as he stood at the doorway and watched Nick work. "Demon venom continues to change its properties the entire time it's in the prey. No anti-venom is possible."

"Great," Nick growled as he continued to wet down Dean's head. The water was cool but not ice cold which was probably a good thing. The last thing they needed was to send the man into cardiac arrest. "Can you go keep an eye on Sam? This bathroom is starting to feel a little claustrophobic."

"Sure," Derek replied. The scene playing out before him seemed somewhat surreal. He never thought he'd see the day when Nick would adopt someone with having known him for so little time. As he left the bathroom, Derek looked through the bedroom door so see Sam still trying valiantly to get to his feet. He hated being separated from his brother, even by a few feet.

Derek managed to catch hold of Sam and keep him from finding the floor as the taller, younger man finally reached his feet and promptly collapsed.

"Whoa," the San Francisco Precept said as he gently moved Sam back over to the bed. The short time the youngest Winchester had been vertical had wore him out completely. Derek could feel the younger man shaking with fatigue as he laid him down and put his legs back under the covers.

"How's Dean?" Sam croaked as he tried to push himself up onto his elbows, without success.

"Nick's trying to get his temperature down. He'll bring your brother back when he can," Derek assured him as he pulled the blankets over the rest of Sam's body. It all felt vaguely paternal to him. It wasn't entirely uncomfortable. Odd.

"Please," Sam begged as he caught hold of the older man's hand. "Dean's all I've got left. Please don't let him die on me."

Shushing the boy, Derek gently pushed stray hairs out of Sam's eyes. "We're doing everything we can. Taking him to a hospital with these roads and the nature of his injuries would be a death sentence for him and for you. In case you forget, you're injured too."

"I'm fine," Sam muttered as his eyes fluttered shut. He desperately wanted to stay awake, to make sure Dean was okay but his body wasn't cooperating. His shoulders were starting to ache, a deep down, mind numbing ache that radiated toward his chest and he was as weak as a kitten. Oblivion took him before he could put up more of a fight.

In the bathroom, the water was turning a slight pink color from the wounds on Dean's legs. The senior Winchester was starting to struggle a little as the cold permeated his unconscious brain. Nick had no trouble keeping him mostly submerged but the struggles were causing the water to splash over the tub's edge and his own legs were soon soaked through. Ignoring it, Nick continued to run water over Dean's head, trying to at least keep his brain a few degrees cooler. If he hadn't been so distracted, the security officer would have thought about his own wounded leg, his own open wound and the venom that was present in the water. If he had been paying attention, he might have thought to change his pants and reduce his risk of infection. If.


	22. Chapter 22

_Sorry, I couldn't do it. There're enough wounded people all ready in this story including Nick. The last thing he needed was to be poisoned as well. Sorry!!!_

_Susanne_

"Nick!" Derek said as he came into the bathroom. In an instant he took in the color of the water and the fact that Nick's pant leg was soaked right through. The implications were immediately obvious to him.

"What?" Nick asked not bothering to take his eyes off Dean. The younger man was showing subtle signs of coming around. He almost felt like he was holding his breath, waiting for Dean to hope his eyes.

"Your leg is soaked with venom impregnated water. You need to go clean it as soon as possible before you too fall to its power," Derek ordered as he stepped forward and pulled Nick to his feet. The venom would be dilute at best but he wasn't willing to take a chance. The last thing they needed was to have three people down because of the vile substance.

"What?" Nick repeated as he finally looked down at his jeans. Sure enough the material was very wet. Now that it had been drawn to his attention he realized that he could feel the water permeating the bandages underneath. Derek was right, he needed to get cleaned up. Fast.

"I'll take care of Dean," Derek said as he gently ushered the shorter man toward the door. He knew Nick didn't want to leave. His subordinate had developed a particularly strong bond with the brothers. Unusual behaviour for the legacy security chief. Generally trusting people outside San Francisco house was not one of his strong suits.

"I'll be back in a few minutes," Nick said as he headed toward the bedroom. He was going to need some of the antiseptic from the brother's room to clean his wounds before replacing the bandages.

Now that Nick was tending to his own injuries, Derek turned toward the insensate young man in the bathtub. Dean's head was lolling to the side, his chin just barely above the water line. His hands floated lifelessly in the water. But as he watched, Derek saw movement under his eye lids.

"Well, let's keep working on that temperature of yours," Derek said. It was better if he talked to the young man. People in comas and similarly unconscious could hear what was going on around them. If he could reconnect with Dean he could possibly get him to wake up.

Removing the cloth from Dean's forehead, Derek soaked it in the water and used it to dribble cool water over his head when it was dry he soaked it again. At first there was no response at all. As Derek repeated the procedure several times though he heard Dean sigh. Then he sucked in a breath and his eyes flew open. Before he comprehended what was going on, Dean slipped under the water level.

"We just got you back, you're not drowning now," Derek growled as he stood up, caught Dean under his arm pits and pulled him bodily out of the water.

Sputtering to get the liquid out of his mouth, Dean looked around blurrily at the room until his hazel eyes came to rest on Derek's face. The older man was still holding him. Carefully he moved the wet young man over to the toilet and sat him down on the seat. "How are you feeling?" he asked as he picked up a towel and began to dry Dean off.

"What the hell?" Dean demanded as the situation finally began to register. "Dude, where are my clothes?"

"You had a fever. We needed to bring it down quickly," Derek explained. Puddles of water were gathering at Dean's feet. He shoved his hands up into his arm pits and his teeth began to chatter as the cold registered for the first time.

"Where're my clothes?" Dean repeated. He really hated being nearly naked in front of this man. If Derek had been a hot woman, that would have been a completely different situation. The way things stood at the moment, Dean just felt very uncomfortable.

"Nick thought you might need them more after you came out of the tub," Derek informed him. The younger man was shaking so hard Derek was afraid he was going to fall off the toilet. He dried him as quickly as he could before pulling him back up to his feet.

"Oh," was all Dean could think to come up with. Pain flashed through his legs as soon as he stood up, making his knees knock a little bit harder. Just as Dean began to slide toward the floor Nick appeared. He caught hold of the taller man and helped his boss take him back to his room.

"Dean?" Sam said as he watched the trio come into the room and carefully lay his brother on the bed.

"Yeah?" Dean managed between clenched teeth. Damn but his legs hurt! For a few minutes he couldn't remember what had happened. Then it all came rushing back to him. "How are you feeling?"

"Better," Sam admitted. He wasn't going to tell Dean it had mostly to do with seeing his brother awake and aware. Suddenly the world didn't seem so dark. "How are you?"

Derek and Nick got Dean situated on the bed. Before he pulled the covers up, Nick pulled the wet underwear over Dean's legs as quickly as he could.

"What the hell?" Dean demanded as he looked at Nick. All ready Nick was pulling a dry pair of underwear up over his legs but Dean wasn't impressed.

"You don't want to wet your bed, do you?" Nick asked innocently as he ditched the sopping wet cloth into the pile of bandages. "We need to bandage your legs."

Beside him Dean could feel his brother laughing quietly. While it seemed like a long time since he'd heard Sam laugh but he didn't appreciate it being at his expense.

The underwear in place, Nick set about slathering an antibiotic ointment on the wounds and then wrapping clean, white bandages around Dean's lower legs.

A head popped into the room as Dean gave into the fatigue and lowered his body back to the mattress. "Ah, you're awake," Jonas said as he stepped through the doorway. "Are you up to a few questions?"

"Are you going to require coherent answers?" Dean responded as he cocked an eye at the man. He still didn't really like the military men. They reminded him too much of FBI agents.

"I was wondering where you found this?" Jonas said, ignoring his remark. In his hand was the watch.

"It was on a pile of bones in the bottom of the hole," Dean told him truthfully. Maybe if he told the man everything he knew he'd leave him alone. Suddenly the only thing Dean wanted to do was sleep. As hard as he tried his eyes kept sliding closed.

"Bones," Jonas echoed.

"Yeah, at the end of that tunnel there was a cave. In the middle of the cave there was a hole. In the hole was a stack of bones with that thing," Dean said. It was getting harder to talk as his mind wandered. Damn he was tired.

"Are you saying the senator is dead?" Jonas needed clarification before he contacted Colonel Ryan. If the senator was dead then they need to find out who 'summoned the demons' in the first place. Whoever had done it was guilty of murder.

"I don't know," Dean growled. "All I found was bones."

"Thank you," Jonas said. Nodding at the other three men, he turned and left the room. They could hear his steps retreating down the stairs.

"You're welcome," Dean breathed as he finally gave in and let the darkness descend. Beside him Sam shifted against him and he too fell asleep. Sam was content knowing that his brother was okay so he could give in to his own exhaustion.

Nick and Derek continued to tend to Dean's wounds. Having him asleep again made it a little easier but not much. The demons certainly had sharp claws. Below them they could hear the four Unit members talking. The words were muffled so they had no idea what they were saying but Derek figured they'd find out soon enough.

Finished, Nick looked at the two Winchesters as they slept. Unconsciously, the two had huddled against each other as if finding solace in the other's nearness. Nick could only dream of having that kind of a relationship with his own brother. A reaper had collected his brother's soul years ago. Helplessly Nick had been forced to watch. To this day he still woke up in a cold sweat from nightmares of that night.

"We'd better go find out what they have planned," Derek said as he headed toward the doorway and the stairway beyond. "I'd like to know how much trouble they're going to get themselves into."


	23. Chapter 23

"How are you going to explain this to your superiors?" Nick asked as he carefully settled his now aching leg on the coffee table. Bob was sitting beside him on the couch. The other Unit members were standing around the living room. Derek stood by the fireplace, resting his elbow on the mantle.

"I haven't quite figured that out," Jonas admitted. He'd been running the possibilities around in his head but had come up with no plausible explanations so far.

"How many demons have you had to deal with in your career thus far?" Derek asked. He couldn't resist.

"None," Jonas growled.

"Are you going to mention us or the Winchesters?" Nick asked. The Legacy didn't like people knowing about them. Some members of the government surely did but there was no reason to increase that number unnecessarily. The Winchester brothers similarly didn't seem to want their presence known by any more people than they could help.

"Not if I can help it," Jonas said. He held the watch in his hand and was absently turning it around in his hand. Gears were burning in his mind as he tried to come up with options. "Are the bones still there? Can we dig them up and use them to get a DNA match?"

"The bones are still there but digging them up isn't going to be possible," Derek replied. Instantly he was concerned that the man was serious.

"If they're there why can't we dig them up?" Jonas asked not entirely understanding the ramifications.

"We sealed the entrance from hell. The bones were inside that entrance. If you go randomly digging it up again you'll release even more demons. The demons may not be as easily defeated as the ones that you dealt with here. These were just minor demons. There are thousands of species of them ranging from mice to dragons in strength and intensity. If you open that portal again, there's no telling what would come through it before you could seal it again," Derek informed him.

"Do you have a suggestion then on how we prove to our superiors that the senator and his family are dead without producing their bones?" Jonas asked. He didn't quite understand everything Derek had said but he knew from the degree of anxiety in the man's face and voice that it wasn't anything to be trifled with.

"There's the watch. Surely there's DNA present on the watch that could prove it was in the Senator's possession when he was killed?" Nick asked. He'd like to get his hands on the watch for a few moments, just long enough to wipe off Dean and Derek's finger prints. He had the feeling that the Winchesters didn't want their presence known any more than the Legacy did.

"Of course it had his DNA on it. That doesn't prove that he's dead," Jonas growled. He really hated having this discussion with civilians.

"What is the name of your superior?" Derek asked. This line of thinking wasn't going to get them anywhere. There were a few Legacy members who had connections in the military. That may be their way around having to produce proof that was buried under that shed.

"That's privileged information," Jonas snapped. He couldn't find a way out of this and it was making him irritable. Unit members were nothing it not resourceful.

"I may know someone who can clear the way but I need to know who we're dealing with," Derek said. The man's insistence on being so stiff and upright made him realize why he drove Nick nuts at times.

"I can't give you that information," Jonas reiterated.

"Fine, just give me half an hour. I'll see what I can do," Derek said. Not waiting for a dismissal, Derek picked up the phone and left the room. He was just as secretive about his contacts as the Unit members. Even Nick didn't know a third of them and he was Derek's Chief of Security.

"Is he always like that?" Mack asked. There was an odd dynamic between the two men. He was finding it hard to sort it out.

"Most of the time," Nick replied. "I'm going to go check on the brothers. If you can, please leave them and us out of your report. I don't think any of us would appreciate the attention."

Before Jonas could come up with a reply, Nick pushed himself out of the couch and headed back upstairs. He figured the brothers were sleeping but he wanted an excuse to leave the military men. Nick had spent far too much time among very similar men. He no longer had the patience for them.

The stairs seemed to be twice as high as Nick trudged up them. His injured leg didn't like to bend any more than necessary so he was forced to take each step first with the uninjured one. It kind of ruined the dramatic exit he'd been going for. Shaking his head, Nick continued until he finally reached the last one.

The brothers were still sleeping as he settled back into the chair. Nick realized he should have eaten something before coming back upstairs but he didn't have the energy to go back down. Besides, he wasn't really hungry.

Sam seemed to be having a dream. At first Nick wasn't sure if it was a good one or a bad one. He could see Sam's muscles twitching a little and his eyes moving back and forth under his closed eye lids. Then a small moan escaped his lips. The word beneath that moan sounded suspiciously like 'Dean'.

"It's okay, Sam. Dean's right beside you," Nick reassured him. Forcing his protesting body back into a vertical position, he moved over to the bed. To look at the two of them he would have thought Sam was the older of the two simply because he was so much taller. It wasn't a fair assessment but it just seemed kind of odd that Dean was the smaller of the two and the older one.

Nick hadn't found out their whole story yet. He wasn't sure he ever would. The Winchesters were nothing if not secretive. Judging by their dependence on each other, though, he could easily assume that they were used to leaning on each other; that they had been doing it since they were very young. From Dean's fierce protectiveness of his younger brother Nick could also assume that Dean was used to taking care of Sam, protecting him from the horrors of their world. Neither man was particularly old but they clearly had years of dealing with the supernatural wonders that plagued the world.

Somehow Nick got the feeling he didn't envy the two their childhood. He'd thought his own was screwed up enough with a Legacy member as a father but apparently there were worse ways to grow up. Without thinking, Nick pulled Sam's covers up over him and tucked them under his chin. Still sound asleep, Sam caught hold of his nearest hand for a few moments before he let go, apparently satisfied that Nick meant no harm.

Sitting back down on the chair, Nick prepared to wait until one or both of them woke up. They were going to have some decisions to make when that happened but for now he was content to watch over them as they slept.


	24. Chapter 24

_This is kind of a lame chapter but it was what came out. Let me know what you think!_

_Susanne_

"When's breakfast?"

The voice was quiet and a little weak but it brought Nick awake in an instant. Blinking sleep out of his eyes, the ex Navy SEAL found Dean sitting up slightly in the bed staring at him. He couldn't remember falling asleep but from the light coming in the bedroom window he'd been unconscious for a while.

"That depends," Nick answered, greatly heartened to see the elder Winchester awake and apparently hungry.

"On what?" Dean asked. It was taking all his strength and a great deal of will power to keep his body up at this angle. Hopefully the older man would get to the point soon before he was forced to give in and collapse back onto the mattress.

"On whether you want something hot or something cold," Nick stated as he pried his stiff body out of the chair.

"Whatever takes the least work, I'm starving," Dean said as he slowly slipped back down. Turning his head away from Nick, Dean took in his brother's still pale face. Geez he hoped he looked better than Sammy.

"Cold it is," Nick said as he headed out the door.

In the kitchen Nick found Jonas and Mack sitting at the table drinking coffee. He'd half hoped the Unit members would be gone by now. Their presence made the cabin seem that much smaller. "Good morning," he said as he headed for the cupboard.

"Morning," Jonas responded. He too had been hoping to be gone by now. Then they heard the thud of a helicopter's blades. Instantly on guard, the Unit members and Nick headed outside to see who or what was coming.

The helicopter was closing fast as it made a bee line toward the cabin. It settled down on the snow swept field across the road. The side door open and Colonel Ryan jumped out. Alone. Jogging, he covered the distance between the helicopter and the cabin in moments.

"I've been briefed. Let's get everyone loaded onto the helo," he ordered upon reaching them. The Colonel spared Nick a glance but that was about it.

"Everyone?" Jonas parroted. He was greatly relieved to see his boss but he was also vaguely perplexed.

"I've been told about your companions. They are to be moved with you to a secure location," Colonel Ryan said as he made his way inside the cabin. He found Bob, Charlie and Hector standing in the living room. Derek was standing at the bottom of the stairs, his arms folded across his chest. The older man didn't look intimidated at all.

"You may take your people but Nick and I are staying here with the young men. They are injured and not ready to be moved," Derek stated simply. He'd talked to Colonel Ryan's superiors. He knew what the parameters of Ryan's orders. They were not included in them. He wasn't about to let the man intimate otherwise.

"Injured or not, all of you are to be taken to a secure area," Ryan growled. He wasn't used to civilians disobeying his orders.

"That is not part of your orders, Colonel. Your man has the evidence you need to prove that the Senator was in the cave. I'm sure Jonas can point it out to you if you'd like to examine it yourself. But I cannot caution you strongly enough to not open the hole. Unless you plan on dealing with the same things we have," Derek said. Nick had slipped around the others and stood beside his boss. He wasn't going to let them touch the Winchester brothers.

"I'm making new orders. I want all of you someplace where I can figure out what the hell is going on," Ryan said as he took a few menacing steps towards the two men. His people were hanging back, not sure how far into this they wanted to get. This whole story was going to be interesting once he got to the bottom of it.

"You should leave, Colonel Ryan. The immediate menace here has been dealt with. You still have to figure out who caused this whole situation in the first place," Derek said. The helicopter co pilot climbed the stairs. Colonel Ryan had ordered him to stay with the air craft but orders had come over the radio.

"Sir?" the co pilot said as he saluted his superior. "We've been advised by headquarters that we need to leave. Another weather front is moving in. We have twenty minutes to get ahead of it."

"Colonel," Jonas broke in. With a nod of his head, he moved over toward the kitchen with his superior. This was getting them nowhere fast. Clearly Derek had been in contact with someone at the Pentagon or higher. Unlike Ryan he knew that the man wasn't going to be cowed. Quietly he explained the situation to his boss and friend. He could see from the frown on Ryan's face and the darkening of his eyes that he didn't like what he was hearing. However, he bowed to his man's take on things.

"All right, get your men in the helo. We're leaving," Ryan barked as he pointedly turned his back on the civilians and marched down the stairs.

"Don't forget to write!" Nick called out softly at the men's retreating backs. Suddenly he was very glad to not have to deal with the stringent codes of the military. It had been what he'd needed when he was younger. Now it would drive him nuts.

"Do we have enough supplies to wait out another storm?" Nick asked as he turned his attention away from the helicopter as it took off and headed south.

"Depends on how long the storm is. I bought enough supplies for two people for a month. We should be okay," Derek replied. A huge sigh made its way through him. The San Francisco precept had forgotten how messy things got when dealing with the military.

"Good. I'm going to go get Dean some cereal," Nick said. The cabin seemed that much brighter and larger, improving his mood considerably.

"What was that?" Dean asked. He'd heard the helicopter. As much as he'd wanted to get Sammy and himself out of the cabin Dean had had to admit that he didn't have the strength. He'd had to depend on Nick and Derek to keep them safe. Not a very comfortable feeling for the inner control freak that lurked in Dean's mind.

"The military came to get their people. The four of us are the only ones here," Nick informed him. Carefully he put down the tray he'd gotten all the way upstairs without dumping. On its surface was three bowls, cutlery, a box of cereal and milk. Nick had been hoping all three of them would eat. "Is Sam hungry?"

"Starving," a muffled voice said from the region of Sam's head.

Two hours later both boys were fed, clean and clothed. With Nick and Derek's help they were even down on the ground floor, sitting comfortably in front of a roaring fire. The whole scene seemed somewhat surreal to Dean. Like something on a post card.

Glancing out the window, Sam watched as snowflakes floated past the glass. The sky had turned a dark grey and wind could be heard howling around the cabin walls.

"Now all we need are some marsh mellows," Dean growled. The Martha Stewart quality of the scene set his nerves on edge. He hated feeling this weak. Despite the food and the shower he could still feel venom pumping through his veins. Not as much and not as deadly but it was still there, sapping every ounce of strength he'd had.

"Sorry, they're reserved for the hot chocolate," Nick quipped. He was sitting in a chair with his injured leg up on the coffee table. Nick's head was leaned back and his eyes kept sliding shut despite his best efforts. The last few days were starting to catch up with him.

"So, how long do you expect us to stay here?" Sam asked. The last thing he really wanted to do was leave. Like Dean, he could still feel venom flowing throughout his body. It wasn't going to kill him but it sure made his muscles and stomach unhappy with life. He just wanted to know how long they had to recover before they were going to be on the road again.

"We have the cabin rented until the end of the month," Derek informed him. The precept was standing by the window, watching as the storm outside intensified. "You can stay as long as you need to. I would not suggest travel for at least a couple of days though. Even if the weather cooperates you will both be very weak until the venom is completely removed from your systems."

"Why should we trust you?" Dean asked. He couldn't help it. His natural distrust kept shining through. Being this weak with people he barely knew bugged the hell out of him.

"That's completely up to you," Derek stated. "There is little you could tell us that would surprise us or shock us. Our one and only concern at this point in time is making sure that you both heal. Beyond that, neither Nick nor I have had a decent vacation in over two years. Thanks to the storm, it appears we have nowhere to go."

"So we're stuck here?" Dean asked. He'd been rather oblivious to the weather. Another sign he was beginning to lose his edge. As much as he tried to be angry at the news, somehow he couldn't quite manage it. The fire and the venom were combining to make him a little too comfortable right where he was.

"Pretty much," Nick responded. "The good news is that Derek is a much better cook than I am."


	25. Chapter 25

The day passed quietly. True to Nick's word Derek was a very good cook. By eight o'clock in the evening both Winchesters were obviously wilting. Dean's leg had started to swell slightly and Sam was dead on his feet. The Legacy members helped them back up into their bedroom and then returned to the fire.

Outside the wind continued to howl. If they bothered to look through the window all they would have seen was a wall of white. If anything the storm appeared to be gaining strength.

"So," Derek said as he settled comfortably into the chair nearest the fire. "What do you make of them?"

"They have somewhat antiquated ideas for dealing with some supernatural problems but they still know their stuff," Nick said. He'd known this conversation was coming. All in all, he hadn't been looking forward to it. He wearily sank down into the couch and lifted his injured leg up onto the coffee table.

"Why have we never heard about them before?" Derek wondered. The Legacy had tendrils of influence in most areas of the country, in all areas of the military and most law enforcement agencies. How could they not know about the duo?

"I think they tend to fly below the radar, Derek. Not everyone wants to draw attention to what they do," Nick suggested. He sank a little lower into the cushions.

"Still, we should have known they were about," Derek insisted.

"We've been a little busy of late, Derek. I'm surprised that we had the time to come out here and deal with this," Nick replied. Life at the San Francisco house had been very hectic of late.

"If I had known about the Senator's presence, we would have been out here a lot earlier," Derek said. He turned his attention to the fire and watched the flickering flames for several minutes.

Content to let his boss think, Nick leaned his head back against the couch. His intention was to watch the fire as well but his body had other plans.

"I touched Sam," Derek said suddenly. Nick fought his way back to awareness. Evidently he'd fallen asleep.

"And?" the ex SEAL asked. He knew that his boss wasn't intimating anything inappropriate. Instead, he was trying to tell him about his psychic response.

"There were a lot of confusing images," Derek replied. As he talked, he was trying to make sense of the images. There were so many of them, some of them were layered on top of each other. "One name came through, Azazel."

Nick's blood ran cold. He'd hoped he'd imagined hearing that name. "What do you think it means?"

"I think that Sam must be of importance to him. I saw an image of a woman trapped on the ceiling, blood coming out from her stomach and flames all around her. I think there might have actually been two separate women but it's hard to process."

"That's one of Azazel's trademarks all right. Who do you think the women were?" Still feeling a little more protective of the boys than he'd ever thought possible, Nick hated the idea of Sam and Dean dealing with that kind of emotional pain.

"I get the sense of their mother and a girlfriend. There is something flowing through Sam's blood other than the venom. I have the feeling that Azazel's chosen Sam for some purpose." The very thought chilled Derek to the bone. Azazel was a demon that they knew enough about to be very worried. The Legacy had been trying to banish him for centuries without much luck.

"Great," Nick breathed. They'd met Azazel before. The results had been devastating for the Legacy. It wasn't something Nick wanted to have to repeat any time soon. "What do you think Azazel chose Sam for? Why him and not Dean?"

"I'm not really sure but I have a sense of strength from Sam that isn't just physical. I think he may be psychic among other things," Derek stated. Now that he'd voiced the idea, Derek realized that it felt right. That would explain a few of the things he'd felt.

"What do you suggest we do?" Nick asked. Derek and Alex's psychic abilities were proven to him but they still made him a little nervous. The thought of Sam having the same ability and possibly others didn't really sit all that well with him.

"I'd like to take them back to San Francisco with us. The venom is going to keep them ill for about a week. I don't want to leave them alone to heal."

"I think Dean might object to that. I get the feeling he's used to taking care of his brother and doesn't want anyone else to do it," Nick said. He actually found Dean's protectiveness of his brother kind of funny and endearing at the same time. Again he wondered briefly what kind of childhood these two men had had.

"Well, you will have to convince him otherwise," Derek stated, glancing at the younger man. A bond had formed between the three men. Derek was willing to use that or anything else he needed to go keep an eye on the boys. At least until he was sure they were one hundred percent fit.

"Yeah, I'll try," Nick replied. There was a notable lack of conviction in his voice. The ex SEAL wasn't stupid. He knew Dean wasn't going to be talked into doing anything he didn't want to do. "Once the military finds out who summoned the demons, how are they going to deal with him?"

"I'm not sure. I made sure my contact knows that we'll help in any way necessary. That's another reason why I want to get somewhere with full communications," Derek said.

"Yeah, I'll get right on that," Nick said as he tried, unsuccessfully, to pry himself back out of the couch.

"They're sleeping. You need to rest as well," Derek said as he caught hold of Nick and carefully pulled him to his feet. Once he as vertical, Nick felt just how tired he was. Suddenly sleep seemed like a very good idea.

The wood crackling and popping in the fireplace kept Derek company through the wee hours of the morning. The wind continued to howl outside. The San Francisco precept had the feeling that they were going to have to dig themselves out of the cabin in the morning. That is if the brothers were feeling well enough to be moved. Letting the military men get away with the helicopter suddenly didn't seem like such a good idea.

Nick was upstairs sleeping. The ex SEAL hadn't complained once about his own injuries so it was easy to forget that he'd been in a major car accident not that long ago. Derek knew how stubborn his friend could be, especially when he was concerned with someone else's welfare.

Sleep kept creeping up on the precept. He wasn't that concerned about their safety but he wanted to make sure someone was awake if the brothers needed help. Standing up, he stretched and headed up the stairs.

Padding down the hall, Derek quietly opened the door to the Winchesters' room. The light from the hallway fell across Sam and Dean's faces. Both men were sound asleep. Both had pale complexions. But it was Dean who had a sheen of sweat over his face. Moving into the room, Derek found the basin and clothes. Carefully he wiped at Dean's face.

Under normal circumstances, Dean would have ripped Derek's arm off and beat him with it. The senior Winchester hated being touched by anyone unless they were female. The fact that he didn't react at all indicated just how truly sick he felt. A soft groan issued from Dean's mouth as the cool cloth swiped across his forehead. Rolling onto his left side, Dean curled up, his arms wrapped protectively around his stomach. Carefully, he pulled his knees up as another groan escaped.

As Derek reached over to the night table to rinse the cloth, he glanced over at Sam. The younger man was staring at him. Those dark depths stared at him but Sam made no effort to stop him. Sam placed his hand on Dean's shoulder to let him know that he was there. That was all the energy he currently possessed. As he watched Derek tend to his brother, Sam's eye lids slid shut and he fell back asleep.

Once he was satisfied that Dean was as comfortable as he could make him, Derek stood up from the bed. Stretching his aching back, the precept walked over to the chair. It was going to be another sleepless night. He wanted to make sure that the brothers were all right and the only way to do that was to watch them. Settling his tall frame into the wooden chair, Derek prepared to stay awake.


	26. Chapter 26

_I'm sorry this is taking me so long to update. I'm really starting to struggle with it but I'll keep trying. Thank you very much to sammygirl 1963, eggylaine and masondixon for your continued support. Your reviews help to keep me going. Also, I'd like to thank everyone who is still reading this. I'll try to not take so long on the next update and to hopefully move the story along a little further._

_Susanne_

"What do you mean you want us to go to San Francisco with you?" Dean demanded. It was two days later. The storm had blown itself out leaving the world white. The sky was still grey, adding to the pale background. It made it really hard to figure out where the horizon began the ground ended.

The brothers had spent a great deal of time sleeping. Usually it was under the watchful eye of Nick or Derek. While they remained weak, the effects of the venom were beginning to wear off. Neither of them had suffered from the cold sweats for the last twelve hours.

Sitting at the breakfast table, the brothers weren't too happy about the plan Derek had just proposed.

"We can't leave you here. You're still too weak. You will be for the next couple of days. We need to get back to our job at the Legacy," Derek tried to reason.

"We've had to take care of each other after bad hunts before. We'll manage," Dean growled. He tried to not look at his kid brother. Dean knew Sam was healing from his wounds and the venom but he was still so damned pale. Even Sam's eyes were tired. If Sam looked that bad, Dean could only imagine how terrible he must appear. So far he hadn't gathered up the guts to look at himself in the bathroom mirror. Some things were better left unseen.

"I'm sure you can," Derek said, trying to reassure Dean. He knew how capable the two men were. They would have had to be to survive this long battling the supernatural world. The fact that they'd been doing it for years, without the Legacy noticing also spoke to their resourcefulness.

"But there may be other things to consider. You will both be very weak for the next three days at least. The wounds themselves are healing well but there is still the chance of a relapse, particularly if your bandages aren't changed regularly. We can make sure that's done while all you two have to do is rest and get better."

While the logic was clear, Dean still hated leaving his brother's health up to anyone but himself. Dean tried desperately to ignore the fact that he was all ready exhausted. They'd only been up for two hours. Long enough to take a shower, change their bandages and eat the breakfast Derek had made for them. If they were left to their own devices the brothers would probably curl up in a hotel room until one of them felt well enough to move. Not a pleasant thought.

"Besides, when the military finds out who summoned the demons, we may need help dealing with him," Nick supplied. Derek and Nick could most likely deal with anything or anyone that came up, of that he was sure. But there was always the chance that whatever was found would be something the Legacy hadn't run into before. If that were the case, Nick wouldn't mind having two pairs of fresh eyes to examine the possibilities.

The brothers looked at each other for a few moments. As much as Dean valued his independence, he knew he was currently unable to take care of Sammy. It killed him to let someone else do it. The only person in the world he'd currently trust to watch over Sam was Nick. Bobby and Pastor Jim came to mind as well but Dean wasn't willing to let the Legacy know of their existence. Not if he could help it.

"Okay, fine," Dean huffed. "But my car comes with us."

"That won't be a problem," Derek insisted as relief flowed through him. There was another reason the San Francisco precept wanted to keep the Winchesters close, at least until they were healed and able to take care of themselves again. Once other members of the Legacy found out about Dean and Sam, Derek wasn't so sure they'd be quite as relaxed about it was he and Nick had been.

The Legacy was used to being the ones to deal with all supernatural threats. While Derek wasn't threatened by the brothers, some of the other members would be. Of that he was sure. Derek hadn't shared this concern with Nick. He hoped that the fear would turn out to be unfounded.

The day was spent resting and gathering what energy they could muster. Derek insisted that Nick rest as well. After all, Nick was going to have to drive his own car home. The trip would probably take them two days. Damn, Derek wished that they could fly. It would be so much faster and less tiring for everyone involved.

Derek mused on alternatives as he prepared supper. He was the only one on the main floor. The others were upstairs tucked in their respective beds. Even Derek had broken down in the afternoon and taken a nap.

Flipping the steaks in the frying pan, Derek wondered how Alex and Rachel were doing. By now the two women would be aware that they were overdue. Sometime during the storm local cell service had been cut off. Derek had tried both his and Nick's phones just to be sure. Neither received a signal so he was unable to contact the other members of San Francisco house.

Well, it was the last night they were going to spend here. Derek hoped he'd be able to contact the women once they hit town. For all he knew, Jonas and his people had identified the summoner and were waiting for him to get back to them. After everything the five man unit had seen, Derek hoped they would have the sense to not try to take him alone. He hoped.

"When are we leaving?" Nick asked. They were all gathered around the fireplace after devouring the wonder meal Derek had created. Sam was sitting between Nick and Dean on the couch, staring absently into the roaring flames. His shoulders were itching like mad. It took every ounce of will the youngest Winchester possessed to not rip the bandages off and scratch his wounds until his fingers were bloody. Instead, he chose to lose himself in the flickering flames.

"As soon as everyone's up and ready. There's enough milk and cereal for a quick breakfast. We'll get something heartier once on the road. What will take time is changing all the bandages. I want to make sure they're all clean before we head out," Derek replied. He was sitting in the chair beside the fire. The precept spent almost as much time watching his charges as he did the orange and red flames in the fire place.

Nick grimaced at the idea of changing the dressing on his leg. The wound was healing fine but it still looked jagged and nasty. Most of the time, the ex-SEAL was able to put his injury out of his mind. The only time he couldn't was when Derek pulled the bandages back and cleaned the damn thing.

"Are you okay?" Dean asked his brother quietly. Sam was too still, too quiet. He had been for a while now. Dean didn't like it. It wasn't how Sam usually was. On a normal day, Dean couldn't get him to shut up. Sam always seemed to want to talk, especially about feelings. It drove Dean nuts.

"Hum?" was Sam's first response. Then he realized what Dean meant. "I'm fine. The damned claw marks are itching. It's starting to drive me a little crazy."

"Want me to look at them?" Dean offered automatically. He was concerned.

"No. I'm sure it's just from them healing," Sam replied, trying to put his brother's mind at ease. He knew Dean tended to worry too much, especially about him. At times it was suffocating in its intensity. At other times Dean's over protectiveness was a form of comfort. Sam wasn't sure how he felt about it at the moment.

"If you're sure," Dean said, still not completely convinced.

"Yeah, I'm sure. I'm beat. I think I'll go to bed. I have the feeling it's going to be a long trip to San Francisco," Sam said as he carefully pried his body out of the couch and headed for the stairs. He didn't really want to go with these two men but he couldn't think of a plausible alternative. Besides, he was just too tired to care.

"That sounds like a good idea," Derek said. It was still early but Sam was right. It was going to be a long trip. Gently he began ushering the other two men up the stairs. Tonight he intended on getting some sleep himself.


	27. Chapter 27

"So, dude, what's going on?" Dean asked. He and Sam were lying in their bed. He'd waited until after Derek and Nick had left them alone before speaking. Even then, he was keeping his voice low.

"What do you mean?" Sam asked with a sleepy voice. He really was tired beyond comprehension. He knew Dean was concerned but he wasn't sure he could build up the energy to care, entirely out of character.

"You're too quiet, Sam. Last week you would have been asking all kinds of questions about this 'Legacy' and what they do and how they perform their research. Yada, yada, yada," Dean growled. Sam really was starting to freak him out.

"I know," Sam admitted. The lethargy flowing through his system was disturbing. He found the presence of his brother a little too comforting and he was a little too willing to let two strangers take care of him. What the hell was going on? "I don't know what's going on."

"Are you really that sick?" Dean had to ask. He knew he felt like crap most of the times, even when he was awake and vertical. His wounds were bad but not nearly as nasty as Sam's. He cringed every time he saw Sam's back and shoulders without the bandages. Those marks were going to take a long time to heal completely.

"I feel like crap," Sam mumbled. He'd given up on sleep and rolled over onto his side to face his brother, head propped up on his hand. He was careful to make sure he didn't jar or pull any of the wounds. The last thing he needed was to start them bleeding again. "I'm not looking forward to going to San Francisco but I don't think I'd be able to take care of myself, much less you."

"I would take care of you," Dean automatically volunteered. It was an instinctual response. Subconsciously he knew he couldn't take care of Sam properly, not the way he was now.

"You can't stay awake for more than two hours either. That wouldn't work very well," Sam said, a weary smile playing across his lips. Trust Dean. For no other reason he was willing to let these two men take care of them. He knew that if he didn't Dean would kill himself tending to his needs and completely ignore his own.

"Yeah, well, I'll sleep when you do," Dean growled. He hated having the obvious thrown in his face.

"Sure, then we'll both starve and become infected," Sam said. Giving up, he finally laid his head back down on his pillow. Sleep was pulling at him. His long limbs felt like they weighed a ton.

"Will not," Dean said his voice a little sulky. As he watched Sam's eyes began to slide shut. Sam tried to keep them open but he was fighting a losing battle. "Bitch."

"Jerk," Sam breathed as he finally gave in. Oblivion overtook him.

Sighing, dean settled into a more comfortable position. As Sam slept, he took in the dark circles under his little brother's eyes, his pale complexion and the gauntness of his face. Whatever kind of venom this was, it had a wicked kick to it. It was as if it took every ounce of strength in his and Sam's bodies to fight its presence and its effects. There was nothing left for silly things like eating, bathing or caring for his brother. Maybe they needed the Legacy after all.

The morning dawned clear and bright. Humming quietly, Derek padded down the stairs. He knew the others would sleep for a while longer. In fact he wanted them to. The San Francisco precept wanted some time to check the road before they tried to head out in the cars. He had a rental vehicle parked in the garage that he was going to have to return as they passed through town. As well, they were going to have to pick up Nick's car at the garage. Hopefully it would be fixed by now. Otherwise it was going to be a long drive in Dean's Impala.

Derek knew his security chief would be very unhappy if he had to leave his beloved Mustang behind. He'd come up with a contingency plan, just in case. But he doubted Nick would be easily mollified. It seemed to be the same kind of relationship Dean had with his own vehicle. Shaking his head in disbelief, Derek slipped his arm into his winter jacket and pulled it the rest of the way on.

The sun was deceiving. Standing in the front room, Derek had thought that it was warm outside. As soon as he stepped through the door, though, he felt the warmth being sucked out of his body. It was damn cold! Suddenly he wondered if the Impala was even going to be able to start. Being from California, he had forgotten to make sure it had been plugged in for the night. If it was this cold with the sun out, the night had been extremely frigid.

The snow crunched noisily under his booted feet as Derek made his way to the car. Just as he reached the driver's side door something occurred to him. He'd forgotten to get the keys from Dean. Shoving his near-frozen hands into the pockets on the front of his jacket, Derek turned to head back into the cabin. Hot-wiring cars wasn't among his list of talents. As he trudged back over his original foot prints, Derek heard a sound. Glancing up, he saw a large grader making its way down the road beside the cabin.

"Well, that'll help matters considerably," Derek muttered as he took the steps into the cabin. At least they weren't going to have to worry about getting stuck. Now, if only the car would start.

Practically diving into the warmth of the cabin, Derek quickly shut the door behind him. For a few moments he didn't even take off his jacket, allowing it to warm him inside the house. As he stood in the entryway, he saw Nick hopping down the stairs. It was just so much easier on his leg if he didn't bend it any more than necessary.

"Good morning," Nick said as he reached the bottom step. He was very careful to keep a grimace off his face. His leg really didn't like steps much. He wasn't really sure how he was going to manage in the mansion on the island with its winding staircases and enormous square footage.

"Good morning. A plow just went by so the road should be open. Do you know where the keys are to Dean's car? We should try starting it before we get everyone outside. It's pretty cold out there," Derek responded as he slipped the jacket off and removed his boots.

"I think they're up in his leather jacket," Nick said, glancing back up the stairs. He'd do it just to be stubborn but it wasn't really what his leg needed at the moment.

"I'll go get them. Are they up?" Derek slid by his friend. He'd noticed the dread in Nick's eyes as he'd looked up the stairs.

"I called them but all I really got was a grunt in response," Nick said, a smile softening his features.

"All right, go get your breakfast," Derek instructed as he bounded up the stairs.

"I used to be able to do that," Nick muttered under his breath as he tried not to hobble into the kitchen. Damn but he hated being injured. Glumly, he set about getting a bowl and pouring cold cereal into it.

At the top of the stairs Derek could hear sounds of movement in the brothers' bedroom. There was a muffled thud followed by a curse. Knocking on the door, the precept turned the knob and slowly pushed it open.

"We're getting ready," Dean growled between clenched teeth. He'd just managed to kick the footboard on the end of the bed. It took just about everything he had to not start jumping up and down. Damn that hurt!!

"I was wondering if I could borrow the keys to your vehicle," Derek plunged in. If Dean was anything like Nick this was going to be like pulling teeth. "It got very cold last night and I want to make sure it'll start."

"Of course it'll start," Dean barked. Stubbing his toes hadn't improved his temper. He was still fighting an internal battle about the trip to San Francisco. It killed him to let anyone, ANYONE take care of Sammy, or himself for that matter.

"If you think it will then I won't worry about it," Derek said as he began to duck back out of the room. Sam was all ready up and dressed. He was busy packing the few things left in the room. Dean had on his jeans and socks. A t-shirt and zip up fleece jacket were lying on the side of the bed.

Dean paused for a moment while he mulled over the possibilities. It was the thought of putting Sam in a cold car only to have it not start that decided things for him. Limping over to his leather jacket, Dean pulled the keys out of the pocket and tossed them over. If he were feeling better he wouldn't let anyone touch his baby. At the moment though, getting dressed seemed a little more important. "Be careful with her," he growled.

"Thank you," Derek said simply. He knew there wasn't much he could do to mollify the man. He closed the door and headed back down the stairs.

With as little effort as possible, Derek got all three of them fed, the dishes washed and the bags loaded into the trunk of the Impala. He'd checked the car and it was running below the steps. He wanted to make sure it was warm before they put Sam and Dean into it. Derek was concerned for Nick as well but his injuries weren't as devastating to his whole body. He was more likely to withstand the cold without any adverse effects.

The rental car was parked just behind the Impala, its motor running as well. California had made Derek a little soft. Besides, he told himself, the vehicle would run better after a few minutes of warming up.

"Everyone ready?" Derek asked as he stepped back into the cabin.

"As ready as I'll ever be," Dean said. He and Sam were standing just inside the door. Nick was doing one more tour of the bottom floor to make sure they hadn't forgotten anything.

"Don't worry, Dean, I'll drive your car as if it were my own," Nick tried to reassure him. He knew how much he hated to let anyone drive his car. He imagined the younger man felt pretty much the same.

"You better," Dean growled. He and Sam stepped out onto the front porch. Instantly the elder Winchester felt all of his strength evaporate. It was just too cold. Beside him Sam had all ready started to shiver. Damn and double damn.

Quickly, Dean got his brother into the back seat, a blanket casually thrown over him. Then he climbed into the passenger side. He wanted to make sure he could see everything Nick did to his baby. Behind him he heard Sam trying to get comfortable. The back seat wasn't quite big enough for his six foot four frame. Sam eventually settled with his head against the passenger side of the vehicle, his arms wrapped around his stomach and his legs curled up on the seat. It kept him warm and kept his shoulders from contacting the seat any more than absolutely necessary.

Despite his best intentions, Dean was asleep two miles down the road. Sam didn't even make it that far. Nick carefully manoeuvred the Impala down the still snowy road. The last thing any of them needed was another car accident. As Nick drove he glanced in the rear view mirror to keep an eye on Derek in the rental car and also, sometimes, to check on Sam.

"Finally," Derek breathed. At last they were on their way. With any luck he'd be able to talk to Alex and Rachel in just a couple of hours. Hopefully.


	28. Chapter 28

The trip back to town was remarkably anticlimactic. They stopped at the car rental place first and dropped off Derek's car. That left Derek driving the Impala with Nick and Sam in the back seat. As they rounded the corner that the garage was sitting on Nick swore quietly under his breath. He could plainly see his Mustang parked by the building looking very much the way it had when he'd left it.

Still frustrated, Nick climbed out of the car and headed inside to talk to the owner. The garage was just what he would have expected from a small town garage. The owner had taken some time to try to keep the front customer area clean but the smell of grease and other liquids wafted in from the open door leading to the garage. Unconsciously, Nick hid as much of his limp as he could as he crossed the distance from the front door to the counter.

"Hi," Nick said to the man sitting on a stool just behind the counter. It wasn't the owner that he'd left in charge of his beloved Mustang but he'd have to do. The man was about middle age with salt and pepper black hair and brown eyes. His eyes were still clear and bright as he looked up at Nick from beneath a grimy baseball cap. "I left the Mustang outside to be fixed."

"Oh, yeah," the mechanic said as he stood up. He wiped his right hand over his soiled coveralls before offering the hand to Nick. Not sure if he should be mad at the man or not it took Nick a moment or two before he grasped it and gave it a few quick shakes. "Sorry about that. The weather has been messing up the delivery schedules. We haven't had a bus or truck in for nearly four days now. I expect the parts we ordered to be on the next bus which should be here today or tomorrow at the latest. How long can you wait for the car?"

Several thoughts passed through Nick's mind at light speed. The last thing he really wanted to do was leave his car here. The Legacy member knew too that they needed to get home ASAP.

"I was hoping it would be fixed by now. I need to leave town today," Nick responded.

"Well, that's too bad. I knew Ralph planned on having that car fixed by now. You sure you can't give us one more day?" the mechanic asked. True to the stereotypes he'd seen thus far, the man's coveralls proclaimed his name to be Bob.

"How soon will you know if the parts are coming in today and how long will it take you to put them on once you do get them?" Nick asked. Anxiously he glanced outside at the Impala. Dean and Sam appeared to be sleeping but Derek was watching him through the big front window intently. Clearly he could tell that something wasn't going according to plan.

"Well, the bus comes at eleven am. If the parts are on it I could have that Mustang ship shape by tomorrow morning," Bob replied.

"Just give me a second," Nick said as he quickly left the building and made his way back to the Impala.

"How long?" Derek asked through the open driver's side window.

"If the parts come in today it can be fixed by tomorrow," Nick replied. The last thing they needed was to delay further but a small part of him was still hopeful.

"Okay. Well, how long until they know if the parts are coming in?" Derek asked. Nick was leaning against the side of the black car, looking down at his seated boss. Derek could plainly see the frustration and concern on the younger man's face.

"Bob back there said the bus with the parts will be in at 11am if it's coming," Nick said. He glanced down at his hands and removed an imaginary piece of dirt from under one of his finger nails.

"It's ten o'clock now. Let's stop and have a decent breakfast. By the time we're done the bus should be here. We passed a motel on our way into town if we need to spend the night," Derek reassured him. One day more or less wasn't really going to make that much of a difference. So long as it had a functioning telephone they were fine. A quick glance at his cell phone confirmed that the towers must have been damaged during the storm. He still couldn't get a signal.

"Are you sure?" Nick asked. Derek was the boss. As much as Nick wanted to wait for his car he wouldn't place that over the priority of dealing with the person responsible for the carnage back near the cabin.

"Let's get some food. We'll deal with whatever happens after that when it happens," Derek said. Turning the key in the ignition, Derek felt the powerful car come alive beneath him. No wonder Dean was so attached to the thing. Derek waited long enough for Nick to climb aboard before he shifted it into gear and headed back down Main Street in search of a place to eat.

"This is the best cheese burger I've had in a while," Dean said as he stuffed another piece into his mouth. The smell of good old greasy food had brought his appetite back with a vengeance. He wasn't willing to wait until after noon to have a hamburger. The eldest Winchester's breakfast had consisted of a loaded cheeseburger and fries. "Do you suppose they have pie?"

"I'm quite sure they do," Derek replied. Seeing the younger man eating with so much gusto did wonders for his own spirits. Maybe they were going to heal faster than he'd anticipated. They were seated at a small table in the corner of a cafe. Nick and Derek were across from each other as well Sam and Dean.

"Good. I'd love me a piece of pie once I'm done with this," Dean said, a satisfied smile gracing his face.

"How about you, Sam?" Nick asked. The younger Winchester had settled on pancakes. While he'd seemed quite happy when they first arrived after the first few mouthfuls Sam spent more time playing with his food than actually eating it. "How are the pancakes?"

"Hummm?" was Sam's first response. The plate in front of him had his undivided attention at the moment. Finally he pulled his eyes away from it and looked up at Nick. For the life of him he couldn't remember what the question had been.

"How are the pancakes?" Nick repeated. He could tell from the confusion in Sam's dark eyes that he had no idea what he'd asked.

"Oh, they're great," Sam responded with a decided lack of enthusiasm.

"Then why aren't you eating them?" Nick asked. He'd finished his scrambled eggs, bacon and toast. Now that his stomach was satisfied, Nick had turned his attention to their two charges.

"I'm not really hungry," Sam admitted. He unconsciously ducked his head to keep from seeing the concern in Nick's eyes. He knew he should eat but the few mouthfuls he'd had so far were sitting in his stomach like rocks. If he pushed it Sam had no doubt he'd just bring it back up.

"You should eat, Sam," Dean said. As involved with his own meal as he had been. As soon as there was any indication that Sam wasn't doing well Dean was all ears.

"I'm fine," Sam hissed. He hated being this weak and the center of attention. He knew their intentions were good but it was starting to drive him a little nuts. Especially since he knew he should be getting better and he wasn't. Dean had been infected after him and all ready had more color and his appetite back. What was so different about him?

As nonchalantly as he could manage, Derek reached over and placed his hand over Sam's. The younger man didn't immediately pull away. More images flowed through Derek's mind as the contact continued. The precept closed his eyes to block out that stimulus so he could concentrate a little better.

"What's he doing?" Dean asked Nick, his voice low and menacing. He knew a meditative trance when he saw one. What was this man doing to his brother?

"Just give him a moment," Nick urged.

"For what?" Dean spat. Sam's eyes were closed too. As Dean watched a thin sheen of sweat broke out on his brother's forehead. Under Sam's closed eyelids he could see the pupils moving rapidly back and forth. Clearly something was going on.

"Trust me," Nick said. He scanned back and forth between the two men. He wasn't even aware that he'd started holding his breath until his vision began to turn a little red tinged.

"Demon blood," Derek breathed as he broke contact. Sam jerked away and his eyes flew open to stare at the precept. "That's why you're so much sicker than your brother."

"What are you talking about?" Nick asked. From the pallor that had come over both brothers' faces he knew Derek had hit it right on the head. He supposed it made sense that demon venom and demon blood wouldn't mix very well in a human. The thought did little to help the fear beginning to gnaw at his belly.

"Azazel," Dean said, looking between the men sitting at the table with him. He got a warning glance from his brother but he was tired of hiding. Besides, if telling the truth helped to make Sammy well sooner he was all for it. "He infected Sam with demon blood the night he killed our mom."

Derek sat back in his plastic chair and looked at the brothers for several moments. No one spoke as the older man digested this along with everything else he knew. Nick was reeling internally. What did this mean? Why would Azazel do that? The demon had a purpose behind every action he took. What were his plans for Sam?

"We need to get you to San Francisco," Derek finally said. "I need to run tests on you Sam. I need to find out that the combination of venom and demon blood is doing to you. I also need to find a way to help you. I don't think you're going to heal nearly as well as your brother until I come up with an antitoxin of some kind."

"I'll be fine," Sam growled. He too was psychic. Images from Derek's life had passed through his mind during the contact as well. He had the headache that was starting between his eyes to prove it. While he now knew the two men were telling the truth, the things he'd seen hadn't necessarily instilled trust in them. Now more than ever he didn't want to go to San Francisco. The Legacy had a whole network of houses all around the world. Once they got whiff of Sam and his powers they would be after him. Sam had no delusions that Derek or Nick would be able to keep them safe once the others knew about them.

"No, Sam. You won't," Derek insisted as he leaned forward over the table. He had to make Sam understand. "The demon blood all ready weakening your immune system has left you even more susceptible to the affects of the venom. We need to get you someplace you can be treated properly. I'm afraid even a hospital isn't going to do you much good."

Derek stopped and glanced around at the other few patrons of the cafe. He'd deliberately kept his voice low but still the words had carried. Everyone, including the waitress and the cook, were staring at them.

"I think we need to leave now," the precept suggested as he rose to his feet. Quickly he threw several bills on the table, more than enough to cover their meal. Then he turned and headed to the door.

"Well?" Dean asked looking at his brother. This was up to Sam. Dean could see how much worse his brother was but he couldn't force Sam to do anything he wasn't willing to do. Nick had stood up. He looked at the two men waiting for their response.

A breath blew out of Sam's mouth as he tiredly rubbed his hands over his face. This was the last thing he wanted to do. But the alternatives weren't appealing either. "Okay," Sam said as he pried his body out of the chair. "We'll try it their way for a while."


	29. Chapter 29

"Sorry, the bus didn't make it again. I guess the county hasn't cleared all the roads yet," Ralph said. He'd resumed his position behind the counter, giving Bobby an excuse to resume his work in the garage. "If it wasn't for the storms I would have had your car up and running on time. Honest."

"Yeah, I know. Okay. I guess I'll have to make arrangements to come back for it. We really are in a hurry," Nick stated. He had to struggle to keep the defeat from his voice. It wasn't the man's fault. It just was what it was. Nick left behind his cell phone number and the number at San Francisco house.

"Give me a call when it's done. I'll get here as soon as I can to pick it up," Nick said. He cast a glance as his sad looking Mustang out on the front parking lot. It nearly broke his heart to leave it behind but they needed to get Sam home. There Alex and Derek would create an antivenin to help heal the man. Quickly he made his way over to the Impala. The sooner they left the better.

"Were you able to get hold of Alex and Rachel?" the security chief asked as he slid into the back seat. Dean was torn between making sure Derek drove his baby properly and being able to tend his brother. His own weariness made the decision for him. He'd allowed Nick to take position with Sam.

"Yes. They were very relieved to hear that we are on our way home. Apparently we were missed by more than just Legacy members," Derek replied cryptically.

"Great," Nick responded. He glanced over at his companion to find that Sam appeared to be sound asleep. Nick wasn't sure whether he should be relieved that they finally figured out what was wrong with him or scared to death because of the implications.

Sam was resting his head against the window. His hands were drawn up into his arm pits as if he was cold and his legs were drawn up as well. All in all the six foot plus young man looked very small. Nick could make out a thin sheen of sweat on Sam's pale face. His long brown bangs hid most of his eyes but Nick was convinced the man was asleep and not just pretending.

Derek started the car up, put it in gear and pulled out onto the street. Soon the tires were humming along on the highway, quickly eating up the miles. Nick pulled a blanket out and threw it over Sam. Then he settled in to get a little sleep himself.

The rest of the day passed quietly. The group only stopped on occasion to fuel up, get some food or take a break to stretch kinked muscles. Derek was pleased with the distance they covered but knew they weren't going to make it all the way back in one day. Grudgingly he started looking for a hotel or motel along the highway they were following. His three charges had slept most of the day. That didn't bother Derek. He quite enjoyed driving, especially in such a well tuned machine. Besides, he figured that was probably what they needed.

The first three motels they passed were a little too run down for Derek's tastes. One thing working for the Legacy was that you quickly got used to some of the finer things in life. It was all a part of never having to worry about money or the budget for what they did. Glancing at Dean who was still sleeping soundly beside him, Derek took in the condition of his jeans, t-shirt and leather jacket. Either it was the latest fashion craze or Dean's clothes were well worn. There were places along the seams of his jeans were the threads were wearing away. Derek was impressed to notice though, that despite their state of disrepair, his clothes were clean.

"What are you staring at, dude?" Dean growled. His head had been leaning against the window but Derek saw him glaring at him out of the corner of his left eye.

"Sorry," Derek muttered. A slight blush coloured his features at having been caught staring. Quickly, he turned his attention back to the road. They were just passing another motel. Derek dismissed it out of hand.

"What was wrong with that place?" Dean asked. He'd been watching. The last four places had been perfect. He and Sam preferred a place with a low profile and a place to hide the Impala along the side. And the price would have probably been right.

Derek didn't even bother to reply to the question. The precept doubted that the bed spreads at that motel were probably never washed. The very thought disgusted him.

"Derek, the place doesn't have to be a five star hotel," Nick stated from the back seat. He was ready to get out of the car. He had a terrible urge to go for a job but doubted his leg would appreciate it much. A nice hot shower would be nice though.

"I would prefer that it at least had three stars," Derek grumbled. Since he was driving, he figured it was his prerogative to decide where they stayed.

"You sound like a snob," Nick stated trying to hide the grin that came to his lips. Until now he hadn't realized just how spoiled the two of them had become.

"I am not a snob!" Derek growled. However, with his accent the effect was ruined. Nick couldn't help but laugh. Rachel and Alex were never going to let him live this one down.

The conversation was pre-empted by a shrill ringing emanating from Derek's pocket. The precept pulled over to the side of the road while he tried to fish his cell out of his shirt pocket. They wound up parked in front a less than reputable looking liquor store.

"Hello?" Derek said once he got the cell out and open. He was silent for several moments while he listened to the female voice on the other end. "Where do they want to meet?"

The conversation continued for a few more minutes. Then Derek turned to the other people in the car. "The military thing they've found the person who conjured the demons. They're asking for our help," he informed them.

"No problem. We'll just rush on out to wherever they expect us to go," Dean growled. He really had no intentions of getting involved with the military men again. He and Sam had dodged the bullet of being identified by them once. He wasn't going to try for a second time.

"They know the man's identity but they haven't located him yet. Alex said they would call when they had," Derek stated. He wasn't very thrilled at the prospect either.

"Great," Dean grumbled as he settled back against the door. Hopefully the man would never call back.

"I'm ready for supper, Derek. Can we please find someplace to stay?" Nick asked.

Well, the hotel they finally decided on was somewhere between Dean and Derek's expectations. Weary beyond words, Sam had stayed carefully neutral during the process. He was very much like Nick. He just wanted a meal, a shower and a soft bed. The four of them had pulled a duffel bag each from the back of the Impala before heading into the reception area of the hotel.

"Good evening," the young man standing behind the counter responded as they came up to it. "How many rooms will you be needing this evening?"

Derek didn't even bother to ask. He had no intentions of sharing a bed but he knew that Nick was going to want to keep an eye on the brothers. Even though, Dean was showing signs of coming around. It amused the hell out of him to see his security chief so paternal.

"Do you have a suite available? We'd like four beds if possible but three would do," Derek replied as he pulled his Legacy credit card out of his wallet.

Sam and Dean exchanged a glance but remained mute. If Derek wanted to pay for it who were they to argue? Besides, Dean was a little hesitant to pull out one of his fraudulent credit cards in front of the two men. The credit cards were a means to an end but for the first time he was a little ashamed of needing to use them.

"Certainly, sir. We have one suite left. How long will you be staying?" the clerk asked as he pulled the paperwork out. He tried to not show any surprise on his face. Looking at the well dressed older man, the casually dressed shorter man and the thread-bare appearance of the other two, all kinds of thoughts played through his mind. At least they hadn't asked for two beds. The clerk wasn't sure he'd have been able to keep a straight face. It wouldn't be the first time the hotel was used by male prostitutes but he chose not to think about it.

"Just for tonight," Derek replied. "We will need a wakeup call at seven am. Is room service still available?" It wasn't particularly late. He just wanted to make sure. From the looks of his three companions, they weren't going too far once they finally got into the room.

"Room service is available until two am, sir. If you could sign here and fill out the relevant information," the clerk said as he slid the paperwork across the counter and laid a pen on top of it. In exchange, Derek placed his credit card down.

Standing with the brothers, Nick found it very hard to not shift around in irritation. Why did this always have to take so long?

After what felt like an eternity, the clerk slid over a paper folder containing their magnetic cards over to Derek. "Enjoy your stay," he said.

"Thank you," Derek replied as he picked up the folder and led the way toward the elevator.

"Now you know why we stay at the seedier places," Derek grinned. "They ask a lot less questions."

The suite was quite nice. It had a bedroom with three beds and a sitting room with a fold out couch. Exhausted, Dean collapsed onto the couch and reached for the remote control. It seemed like a long time since he'd be able to sit and veg in front of a TV set.

"I'm going to take a shower," Sam muttered. He was exhausted and didn't really feel like taking the time but to be honest, he'd begun to smell. Shuffling toward the bathroom, the youngest Winchester prepared to find the energy somewhere.

"Don't use up all the hot water," Nick chided him. He made a mental note to check on him in ten minutes, just in case he fell asleep under the warm water.

" 'Kay," was Sam's response as he closed the bathroom door.

Derek found the room service menu and began to flip through it as he sank down on top of one of the beds. The sooner they ate, the sooner they could go to sleep. He really hoped to be out of the room by eight o'clock in the morning.

Wearily Sam stripped off his clothes. He had to take the bandages off his shoulders because he'd spied that they were dirty in the mirror. Damn. By now he'd hoped that the wounds would have stopped weeping and would have begun healing. No such luck. Another strike against his tainted blood. Sighing, he turned the water on and waited for the temperature to adjust.

The last thing he really felt like doing at the moment was taking a shower. As much as he hated to admit it, the beds outside looked all too inviting. Stepping into the bath tub, Sam stood facing the shower head for a few minutes before building up the energy to start cleaning his aching body. The water felt amazingly good running over his head and then trickling down his shoulders. Sighing again, Sam caught up the shampoo and rubbed it into his now wet hair. The steam from the hot water was filling the air. For a few moments while he scrubbed at his scalp, Sam felt more alive and awake than he had in quite some time.

Satisfied his hair was as clean as it was going to get, Sam rinsed the shampoo out of his hair. Then he turned his attention to the soap. Without thinking, he turned his back toward the shower head while he lathered up his chest and stomach. The instant the hot water hit the wounds on his shoulders pain spiked through Sam's system, nearly sending him to his knees. Gasping against the pain, Sam staggered away from the stream of water and sank at the end of the tub. Damn he hated this.

It took him nearly five minutes to recover enough to finish rinsing the soap off his skin. Sam's shoulders were still sparking like fireworks as he turned the water off. Feeling even more exhausted, Sam carefully stepped out of the tub and just as carefully dried himself off. As much as he was going to hate this, he was going to have to ask Nick or Derek to replace the bandages. Otherwise he was going to just mess up his shirt. Damn he hated this.


	30. Chapter 30

An hour later, Derek had changed all the bandages after being prompted by Sam. Nick insisted on taking a shower first so he was bandaged up last. Then they ordered supper and settled in to wait for its arrival.

"So, what's going to happen once we get to San Francisco? Are we going to be prisoners?" Dean asked. He was lounging in front of the TV still. The situation comedy on the screen only moderately interested him. Mostly he was having fun ogling the young women traipsing across the set. God it had been a long time!!

"You won't be prisoners," Derek responded. He was quickly dialling the phone to talk to Alex and Rachel before they turned in for the night. He wanted to get them started on the serum for Sam. He could easily see how badly being this sick and weak chaffed on the younger man.

"Well, not technically," Nick added. "We live on an island. You'll be free to wander its confines. The ferry only comes and goes when we call it or we have a helicopter for emergencies."

"A helicopter?!" Sam breathed. He glanced at his brother. Boy, were they running in the wrong circles.

"Yeah," Nick replied suddenly realizing how pompous that sounded. "We have very significant resources."

"Yeah, I'll bet," Dean scoffed. What were they doing with these people? "So, do you have a pilot sitting around waiting to take you flying at all times?"

"No, actually," Nick said, a slight flush of embarrassment colouring his cheeks. "I'm rated to fly it."

"Of course," Dean mumbled under his breath. It would be incredible to be able to do what they did without having to run the credit card scams or drive all over hell and back. Mind you, Dean wouldn't have been too willing to leave his beloved car behind anyway. Could a helicopter lift it and take it along he wondered absently.

"I'm going to go lie down until the food gets here," Sam stated. He was feeling very tired again. The shower had felt good but had worn him out. Without waiting for anyone to respond, Sam made his way to the furthest bed and collapsed on top of the bed spread. He didn't even have the energy to climb under the covers.

It was actually a bit of an odd experience for the Winchesters to relax in the hotel room while they waited for their food to be delivered. Aside from occasionally ordering pizza, the brothers were used to heading out to the nearest diner or cafe to find their food. Dean had been glad that the food was being charged to the room and Derek's credit card after seeing the prices on the menu. What this man was willing to pay for their meals would last Sam and Dean for a week!

"Do we need to be concerned about other people from your organization?" Dean asked suddenly. As much as he hated to admit it, he trusted Nick and Derek. At least for the moment he did. He knew how concerned Sam was about revealing his gifts to people for fear that they would think him a freak or try to do experiments on him. Well, to be honest, the later had never really come up but Dean watched TV and movies, he knew what the government was capable of.

"In what way?" Derek asked. On the other end of the line Alex had put him on hold while she headed to the control room. She needed to find out more information that he'd given her and wanted to be able to deal with it immediately upon its receipt.

"Well, Sam and me, we're used to doing things on our own. Like Nick said, we tend to stay below the radar. The thought of a whole world-wide organization knowing about us kind of gives me the creeps," Dean replied. The TV had lost all hold over him. Even the beautiful woman couldn't pull him away from the conversation. If there was a risk to Sam or himself, he wanted to know about it.

"You're worried the Legacy is going to try to prevent you from doing your work," Nick stated simply. He could easily see where the fear was coming from. In particular the fear of others knowing about Sam and his tainted blood, but he hadn't really planned on telling anyone else.

"Well, yeah," Dean admitted. He glanced down the hallway at his horizontal brother. As much as his own wounds were aching and itching, he knew instinctively it was that much worse for Sam. It killed him that there wasn't anything he could do to help relieve some of the discomfort for his brother. "We're not used to people knowing anything about us. I don't want to have to worry about people coming out of the wood work to study us or try to hinder us."

"To be honest with you, Dean, I hadn't really planned on telling the other houses any more about you than absolutely necessary. Even then it would only be on a need to know basis. The last thing I want to do is to keep you guys from doing what you're doing," Nick stated. Derek had turned away and was rapidly filling Alex in on the problem. As much as he wanted to be part of the conversation, he had to attend to Alex first.

"Well that's a relief," Dean sighed as he turned back to the TV set. While he wasn't sure about how far he trusted the two men, he knew enough to realize that Nick was telling the truth. At least as he saw it.

"Glad I could help," Nick quipped, a grin spreading across his face.

A knock on the front door announced the arrival of supper. Finished with Alex, Derek got up and headed toward the portal to let the employee in. As much as Nick protested he was all right, Derek wanted the security chief to rest as much as possible. When he'd wrapped Nick's leg the wound had looked slightly flush. The last thing they needed was for Nick to come down with infection too.

Opening the door, Derek stepped aside and allowed the two men to bring in two food carts. The scents emanating from the enclosed dishes set his mouth to watering immediately. Quietly thanking the men, Derek closed the door behind them.

"Where would you like to eat?" he called out to his companions. The sitting area made the most sense but if Sam or one of the others wanted to eat in bed he wasn't going to argue.

Within moments all four men were situated in the sitting room hungrily devouring the food before them. Dean hated to admit it but the cheese burger he'd ordered was probably the best he'd had in recent history. Even the French fries were delicious.

"How's your food?" Nick asked between mouthfuls. Somehow he had just known that Dean was going to order the meal he did. The ex-SEAL had watched Dean reading the menu. The expression on his face had been priceless. Being more conservative, Sam had settled for a chef salad which he was quickly devouring.

All he got in response was a couple of grunts. Neither man wanted to take the time from eating to speak. The food was just too good. Grinning, Nick settled in to eat his sirloin steak.

The morning came all too early. After much grumbling and complaining, Derek had all four of them cleaned up, dressed and out of the hotel room by eight am. They travelled for nearly an hour before Derek pulled of the highway at a small, out of the way diner. The place seemed to be completely alone on the stretch of black top they were following. If his stomach hadn't been growling, Derek would have driven right by it. It definitely didn't look like his kind of eating establishment.

As soon as the car had hit the highway, the sound of the wheels on asphalt at lulled Sam and Dean to sleep. Satisfied that Derek was going to treat his baby with the respect she deserved, Dean had allowed Nick to sit in the front set. The two brothers were sprawled in the backseat. Sam was leaning against Dean to keep his shoulders from pressing against the seat back while Dean had his injured legs up on Sam's knees. It was an interesting arrangement. Derek didn't want to be them when they woke up. All ready his older joints ached in sympathy.

"Should we wake them?" Derek asked, indicating the brothers. Beside him Nick leaned over the seat to gaze at them.

"Yeah, I get the feeling Dean likes his breakfast," Nick replied as he reached over to shake the nearest body part. It happened to be Dean's left knee. He was careful to not grasp where he knew the bandages were.

Within a moment Dean jerked awake, dislodging his brother and sending his feet thumping against the floor boards of the car. "What?" Dean demanded as he tried to ignore the shooting pains up his legs.

"We're stopping for breakfast. I figured you were both hungry," Nick replied. Sam was blinking sleepily at him, still not entirely awake.

"Yeah, sure, thanks. That sounds like a good idea," Dean breathed as he tried to recover. Beside him Sam was reaching for the door handle. The thought of food was particularly appealing this morning. Sam hoped desperately that meant he was feeling better.

A short time later all four men was happily full. Derek resumed his spot behind the wheel, Nick seated beside him. The Winchesters were slumped in the back seat. Their position pretty close to what it had been. It seemed to be the only way that both of them were comfortable.

"Next stop, San Francisco," Derek said as he pulled the car out onto the highway. In actuality it was going to take two or three stops before they reached home but that was a technicality. It just felt so very good to be this much closer to home.


	31. Chapter 31

"Stop the car," Sam said from the back seat. There was a note of urgency to the younger man's voice that caused Derek to pull the car onto the shoulder immediately. Sam virtually dived out of the passenger side door and was promptly sick in the tall grass. They'd been travelling for almost an hour since leaving the diner. During that time Sam's stomach had gone from happily full to slightly unstable to outright rebellion.

"Are you okay?" Dean asked as he came up behind his heaving brother. He hated it when Sam was sick. It took nearly everything he had to keep from joining his brother in emptying his guts. Trying to swallow the bile threatening in his own throat, Dean placed a careful hand on Sam's back as he continued to suffer under the onslaught.

The smell not helping, Sam stumbled a few steps away from where he'd just emptied the contents of his stomach. His body wasn't quite satisfied though and he continued to heave, his hands on his knees, well beyond the point where anything came up. Tears blurred his vision, his sides ached with each involuntary movement and what little strength he'd had was quickly evaporating. Then Nick and Derek were beside him as well, helping Dean to keep him from falling on his face.

An eternity later the dry heaves subsided. Weak, slick with sweat, Sam was being supported by the three men surrounding him. So much for feeling better, he thought ruefully. "I'm okay," he tried to reassure them but the sound that came out of his abused throat was a moan instead.

"Sammy?" Dean asked his voice low with concern as he knelt down beside Sam. He had to lean in a little to be able to look into his brother's pale face. The whole event had scared the crap out of him. Pain was one thing but being physically ill was quite another. Pain could be compartmentalized, pushed to a distance but when your body was doing things beyond your control it was a helpless feeling.

Looking up beyond Sam's brown hair that was hanging around his face in wet clumps, Dean took in his kid brother's pale skin, beads of sweat still springing up on his forehead and running down the side of his face. Sam's dark eyes were screwed tightly shut as he tried to regain some equilibrium. At the moment he felt like he was ready to pitch forward onto his face if the men holding him were to let go.

"Sammy?" Dean repeated becoming increasingly alarmed. To assure himself that his brother was still with them, Dean reached up and ran his fingers over Sam's clammy cheek.

"I'm okay," Sam breathed. As much as he hated to admit it, the warmth from his brother's hand felt pretty good at the moment. Sam felt like his core body temperature had dropped a good twenty degrees in the last few seconds. Involuntary shivers were beginning to shake his tall frame.

"Let's get him back into the car," Derek suggested. He and Nick carefully pulled Sam into an upright position and started leading him toward the still running car. Dean was behind them in a second.

"I'm sorry," Sam mumbled. He hated being the center of attention, especially for being so sickly. Sam was used to being able to do anything he wanted whenever he wanted. He was in excellent physical shape. At least he had been.

"It is okay, Sam," Derek reassured him. "I have Alex and Rachel working on a treatment for you. Hopefully by the time we reach the House they'll have something we can try."

"Yeah," Sam said, not sure he really agreed with him. All he wanted to do at the moment was wrap up in a blanket and sleep. Before he was put in the back seat of the car, Nick handed him a bottle of water to rinse his mouth out. Luckily Derek and Dean were still holding onto him because Sam kind of lost his balance and nearly tipped onto his face when he spit the water out onto the shoulder of the road.

"Whoa," Nick said as he slid in to keep the younger man vertical. "Let's get you set up in the back seat."

O-O-O-O-O

A few minutes later they had resumed their journey. Sam had fallen nearly instantly asleep once he was in the back with Dean underneath him and a blanket wrapped around him. Dean was scared out of his mind. Absently, he wrapped his arms around Sam's torso and tried not to think.

"Is he going to be okay?" Nick asked quietly. He glanced over his shoulder at the bundle in the back seat. All he could see properly was Dean's head. Sam's was curled into his brother's shoulder as he slept. Dean's blue-green eyes were looking at him intently over his brother's head. For some reason Nick felt as if he were intruding. Quickly he turned around.

"Yes. He should be. I just hope Alex and Rachel will have something for him before we get there," Derek replied his eyes directed at the road. He was trying to stay under the speed limit but the car really liked to go fast and he wasn't sure he wanted to stop it as the speedometer crept up.

"I hope so too," Nick said as he turned toward the passenger window. At least he kept the food down for an hour, he thought. Sam should have absorbed some of the nutrients during that time. He should have.

O-O-O-O-O

"Alex, Rachel, this is Sam and Dean Winchester," Derek introduced the newcomers. The other two members of San Francisco house had been waiting for them at the front door as they slowly made their way in.

"Hi," Dean said. He glanced up at the two women. Alex was a little shorter than him with long, dark, wavy hair and the brownest eyes he could remember ever seeing. Her chocolate brown skin was beautiful.

Beside her Rachel was a study in contrasts. She was a good four inches shorter than Alex. Her blond hair stood out starkly in comparison, as did her pale skin. Her blue eyes were concerned but inquisitive at the same time. Yet, there was an intelligence burning in both women's eyes that set him on his guard. Old habits die hard.

Sam looked up at the women. His bangs were hanging in his eyes but it was too hard to move them out of the way with either of his arms over Nick and Derek's shoulders. Blinking to get some of the sleep in his eyes, the youngest Winchester decided he didn't really care and let his head hang down again.

"We should show you two your rooms," Rachel said as she smiled at the two young men. Now wasn't the time to push for more answers. Clearly Sam was on his last legs.

"Room," Dean said instantly. "We'll stay together."

O-O-O-O-O

With as little adieu as they could manage, the Legacy members conveyed the Winchester brothers to the second floor of the mansion. Sam didn't bother to look around. He figured he'd see it all soon enough. For his part, Dean couldn't help but look around at all the artefacts and antiques placed around the house.

"This place is a museum," Dean muttered under his breath as he followed Derek and Nick up the stairs and along the hallway. It took everything Nick had to not burst out laughing.

"This is one of the guest rooms," Alex said as she indicated the room she wanted them to use. Nick and Derek slipped by her to gently lay Sam on top of the spacious bed. Dean couldn't help it. He'd stopped in the doorway and was staring around. This place was like a far too fancy hotel from 'the old country'. Clearly there hadn't been a lot of feminine input in the decorating scheme.

The bed was a king, easily. It was surrounded by one of those wooden four bolstered bed frames. The other furniture in the room was all over sized and wooden. These people lived here??

As soon as Derek was sure Sam was as comfortable as they could currently make him, he ushered Alex and Rachel out so that they could discuss what had been found so far. "I'll go get your bags out of the car," Nick suggested. He could tell from the expression on Dean's face that he was starting to feel a little overwhelmed.

"What?" Dean asked forcing his eyes to settle on the older man. "Oh, yeah, that would be great. I just want to check on Sam."

Dean waited until he was alone before he turned to his brother. Sam was lying on his back, his left arm thrown over his eyes. Sometime during the ride he'd stopped shivering, for which Dean was grateful. That was at least a step in the right direction.

"Hey, kid, how are you doing?" Dean asked as he settled down on the overstuffed bed beside Sam's long frame.

"Are we there yet?" Sam muttered. He'd slept most of the way after being sick. While he felt a little stronger, he was still getting very tired of being this helpless.

"Well, we are here," Dean said as he looked around the room. "I feel like we're in a museum. This place is kind of creepy."

"The Legacy has been doing this for a very long time," Nick said as he came into the room, hauling the boys' two nylon duffle bags. "You tend to collect memorabilia after a century or two."

"I guess so," Dean responded, throwing a look at his brother. They were really out of their league. Suddenly the tacky motel rooms didn't seem nearly as bad.


	32. Chapter 32

"I know it's late," Derek said as he entered the room followed by Rachel. "But it would help if we could get a blood sample."

"Yeah, sure, no problem," Sam said. He still had his arm over his eyes and was just trying to stay as motionless as possible. It helped a lot. At some point he knew he'd get curious about his surroundings but now was not the time.

"I'll be quick," Rachel reassured him as she sat on the bed beside him. As she prepared the take the sample she took a closer look at the tall young man lying in front of her. He was definitely handsome, as was his brother, but there was a thinness to his pale skin. Clearly he'd been sick for far too long. "This will help us come up with a treatment. Alex and I can only do so much without it."

"I just hope it works," Sam replied as the needle slid into the vein of his free arm. It was kind of weird to be receiving medical treatment without having to lie to the person doing it. While Sam had no intention of volunteering information, if they asked he'd answer.

"There now," Rachel said as she shook the test tube to mix the reagents with the blood. "That wasn't so bad. I'll run this and let you know what we come up with."

Sam wasn't sure if she was talking to him or Derek. But he chose to stay mute anyway.

"How long is that going to take?" Dean asked.

"Hopefully we can get a treatment figured out within 24 hours," Derek said. Then he escorted Rachel out of the room, her hand full of blood filled vials.

"It's late," Nick said once he was alone with the brothers. "The bathroom is down the hall, second door on the left. You can take a shower or do whatever you want. We usually have breakfast downstairs around eight am. If you can't make it up for that there's always cereal and the like to make something once you do get up.

"You don't have to worry. You're safe here. No one can get on the island without our knowing about it," Nick added. He could see the natural suspicion in Dean's eyes. It made his stomach turn. What kind of life were these two men used to living?

"Thanks," Dean said. A few off colour remarks had come to mind but he'd forced them back down. Nick hadn't been anything but nice to them. He deserved at least a little respect.

"See you in the morning. Have a good sleep," Nick said as he slipped out the door and shut it behind him. His own bed was calling him, just a short distance down the hallway. As much as he should be taking a shower, all Nick really wanted to do was sleep. Giving in, he headed for his bedroom.

O-O-O-O-O

It was sometime during the night. As much as Derek really wanted to just go to bed, he couldn't quite bring himself to until he'd done everything he could for Sam. So far, though, things weren't looking promising.

"There's nothing in our databases?" he asked for what felt like the tenth time.

"We've managed to isolate the traces of venom and the contaminating demon blood but I've never seen anything like this before, Derek. I'm going to need some help to figure out what to do with this now that we have it," Alex said. She and Rachel had been working non-stop since getting the samples. The research they'd all ready done really didn't help them much. They just didn't have enough experience with this kind of exposure.

"I was hoping to keep the other Houses out of this," Derek admitted. "I was hoping to keep them from knowing about Sam and Dean."

"I don't know that we have a choice," Rachel said from her position beside the lab table. "I've never run into this type of possession before. Usually it's more straight forward. This seems to be more of a latent contamination of the blood. Has Sam exhibited any kind of symptoms? Unusual powers anything like that?"

For the first time since he met Rachel Corrigan, Derek was forced to lie. "No, not that I'm aware of." He hated it but if they were going to have to approach the other Houses he wanted to downplay the threat that the boys might represent.

"I know you want to protect them but that will be a wasted effort if Sam should die," Alex said.

Derek took a few moments to consider his options. Then he realized he really didn't have any. Feeling defeated he turned back to the woman. "All right, contact whoever you think will be of help. Just try to keep the information about the Winchesters themselves as vague as possible.

"I'm going to go to bed. It's been a long trip home," Derek added as he turned and passed through the barrier to the command center.

O-O-O-O-O

Morning came slowly to Sam. The first thing he really became aware of was the fact that he was lying on the most comfortable bed in recent memory. The second thing he noticed was that he was very thirsty. Forcing his eyes open, he blinked against the light streaming into the room and looked around.

Dean was stretched out beside him. The elder Winchester didn't even bother to get undressed last night, but then, neither had he. Once Nick had left them alone they'd passed out. In his exhaustion, Dean hadn't even bothered to climb under the covers.

As Sam watched, their door slowly creeped open. Then Nick's head slid around the corner to look at him. "Good morning," he said quietly. "I was checking to see if you were up. Breakfast is ready downstairs."

At the thought of food Sam's stomach growled hungrily. Quickly he took stock of his body. At the moment he felt like he'd make it down the stairs with energy to spare. There was no time like the present.

"We'll be down in a few minutes," Sam said to Nick. "I'd like to clean up a bit first."

"Sure thing. I'll keep an eye out for you. Unfortunately it's pretty easy to get lost here at first," Nick said a smile playing across his lips. His message delivered, Nick closed the door and headed down stairs.

O-O-O-O-O

Looking better than he had since Nick had met him or at least was really aware of meeting him, Sam and Dean joined the House members in the kitchen. While the food was already made, the members didn't usually stand on ceremony. Everyone had their own schedules and ate when it was convenient. Today, however, the four Legacy members were seated at the counter.

"Good morning," Derek said upon seeing them. The smell of food had obviously led them in the right direction. Nick had been too interested in his breakfast to notice them.

"Morning," Dean muttered in response. He and Sam had both taken quick showers and donned the cleanest clothes they could find in their duffels but he still felt a little grubby compared to the others. There were two stools empty on the other side of the counter. Quietly the two young men took their positions. "What are the plans for the day?"

It was far too weird for Dean and Sam to have a day to themselves. Secretly Dean was hoping they'd come up with something supernatural to kill. It felt like it had been far too long.

"We sent our results out to the other Houses," Rachel said. "I expect to hear from them sometime this morning. With any luck we should be able to start with a treatment shortly thereafter."

Dean had only been half listening. He was too busy ladling his plate full of food. Suddenly he paused. "What do you mean you sent the results to the other Houses?"

His stomach still complaining loudly, Sam didn't even pause. He filled his plate and began chowing down. At this point the only thing that really mattered to him was shutting his stomach up. Whatever happened after that happened.

"I'm sorry, Dean. We didn't have a choice," Derek said. "We were as vague as we could be. I have no intention of making you a target."

"Well, that's comforting," Dean grumbled. Not feeling particularly comfortable with the idea, Dean turned his attention back to his plate. Might as well get a decent meal out of it, he thought. Then he settled in to empty his plate. Seconds were definitely an option


	33. Chapter 33

_Hi. I'm sorry this is so short and a little late. I've had a really awful week. I had to put down my 17 year old cat, Miss Kitty. Hardest thing I've ever had to do. I hope to be feeling more like myself and writing more soon. I want to thank you for your patience in advance. I feel like a piece of my heart is gone. It'll take a while to mend. _

_Thanks again,_

_Susanne_

Breakfast was interrupted by a phone ringing in the distance. Dean glanced up from his plate but no one was moving so he decided it wasn't important. Then a smartly dressed older man entered the room. "There is a Mr. Jonas on the line for you Mr. Raines."

Dean nearly choked on his food. Tears streaming from his eyes while he coughed to dislodge the offending piece of sausage, he looked around. Beside him Sam was staring at the man as well.

"You have a butler???" Dean croaked as Derek thanked the man and left the room. The other three members of the Legacy looked at him a little oddly.

"We're too busy to keep this place clean ourselves," Nick stated. He was feeling a little like the rich cousin talking to the poor side of the family. Clearly the Winchesters were much more used to taking care of themselves.

"Of course you are," Dean grumbled as he turned back to his food. They had a butler!!

Derek returned. "That was our military friend. They have their suspect's position narrowed down. He'll give us a call when it comes time to face him. After everything he's seen he doesn't want to go in there alone, just in case."

"Any idea on a time line for this thing?" Nick asked. He'd finished eating ten minutes before but he was having too much fun watching Dean devour everything in sight. For his part Sam had eaten a relatively decent breakfast but not nearly as much.

"No. Every time they think they've found him he's gone. Once they're done eating, why don't you show our guests around the grounds. Assuming Sam's up to it," Derek suggested. He wanted to do more work on a cure for Sam and didn't want the brothers getting in his way. At this point he wasn't sure if he was ready to divulge the existence of their control room. That was where he was going to be doing most of the work.

"Sure," Nick said grinning at the look on Dean's face. The elder Winchester was starting to feel a little overwhelmed by it all. He wasn't entirely sure if this was a good thing or not. What had he allowed him and Sammy to be roped into?

O-O-O-O-O

"Do you actually do work here or what?" Dean asked. Nick was leading them around the spacious gardens that surrounded the mansion on three sides. The other side was the arching driveway and carport that protected the front entrance in case of rain. The whole building had that old world feel with the ivy growing on the rock walls, the old windows and the castle-like features.

"Of course. We get jobs from the Legacy as well as finding our own. Most times we're cataloguing artifacts, doing research, that kind of thing," Nick said. He was paying close attention to Sam. The younger Winchester was gamely keeping up. But all ready Nick would see a thin sheen of sweat on his face.

The morning had dawned clear and bright but also colder than usual for this time of year. There was no way that Sam should have been hot. He felt the need to touch the man's forehead to look for a fever but didn't think the younger man would appreciate it much.

"So you don't research your own gigs? You let someone else tell you where to go?" Dean asked unbelieving. He glanced at his brother to see what his reaction was and was concerned by the face that looked back at him.

Nick's cell phone let out a warble causing the Winchesters to jump. Quickly, Nick pulled it out of his back pocket and answered it. He didn't even get to say anything before the boys could hear Derek's voice on the end. "Okay, we'll head back," Nick said as he broke the connection.

"They think they've found something that'll work. It's worked on a portion of the sample they took yesterday. They'd like to try it on you in a really low dosage," Nick said. He made his way toward the nearest entrance of the mansion.

"They're going to use him as a guinea pig?" Dean demanded. Instinctively, he took a position between Nick and Sam and stopped dead in his tracks. Nick was forced to stop, turn and look at the brothers in frustration.

For his part, Sam was only looking on in mild curiosity. At the moment he was willing to try just about anything. In the short walk they'd had so far, he was all ready exhausted. And the breakfast was starting to sit a little heavy in his stomach.

"What other choice do we have?" Nick asked. It took nearly two minutes before Dean admitted defeat. Nick was right, they'd run out of viable options. Slowly he nodded his head in agreement and allowed Nick to lead them in.

"This had better bloody well work," Dean muttered under his breath as he entered the mansion.


	34. Chapter 34

_Hi. Thank you all for sticking with me. I'm still not feeling much like writing but I still have this story burning through my mind. This chapter isn't as long as some but it's something. I hope you enjoy it!!_

_If you like the Poltergeist the Legacy and Supernatural pairing, I've started another story under Crossovers called "Past Times". It's Poltergeist centric but the boys will be making an appearance shortly. I'd love to hear what you think of it!_

_Susanne_

If Dean had thought the last few days had been hard he was mistaken. Once Rachel injected the serum into Sam's vein the world seemed to stop. Well, that wasn't entirely true. It continued for a whole five minutes, long enough to get Sam to their bedroom and situated on the bed. That was what Derek had suggested they do because they weren't entirely sure of what the side effects were going to be.

"You okay?" Dean asked as he looked down on his little brother. Sam had been fine after the shot and had wanted to ignore Rachel's instructions to go lie down. Then a strange kind of look had passed over his face and he'd capitulated. Now that he was lying down, Dean noticed for the first time how thin his kid brother was getting.

"I'm fine," Sam bit out. He'd turned his head away from his brother and closed his eyes. He could feel the serum burning through his arm up to his shoulder, into his heart. It wasn't particularly painful, more like when you drank liquor and could feel it burning all the way down. All he really wanted at the moment was to be alone. He wasn't very comfortable with all these people knowing about his demon blood. It made him ashamed of whom he was. It also made him feel like he couldn't be trusted. By anyone.

"Yeah, you look it," Dean replied sarcasm dripping from every word. He wanted to shake his brother. Knock some sense into him. Or maybe he just wanted to get the hell out of here and go back to their old lives.

"Dean?" Sam breathed. The burning was getting worse now that it had reached his stomach. Sam swallowed rapidly as he felt bile bubbling up his throat but it didn't seem to help. "Garbage can??"

Instantly Dean knew what was causing his brother distress. Quickly he looked around until he found some kind of receptacle. Then he was practically jumping across the bed to get it under his brother's head. Sam had rolled over to the side of the bed his head was hanging over the side. Dean made it just as the bile spewed out.

Unsure of what else to do, Dean sat on the edge of the bed while his brother brought up his breakfast and everything else he'd had in the last three days. Dean reached over and rubbed Sam's back as he continued to heave long after there was anything to come up. Tears mingled with snot and spit while Sam was at the mercy of his body.

"It's going to be okay," Dean tried to reassure Sam. Nothing was coming out and he REALLY wanted to get rid of the garbage can because the stink was terrible. But Dean didn't want to leave his brother alone.

"What's going on?" Nick asked from the doorway. He'd been on the way by and had impulsively checked on the brothers. The smell had been the first indication that something wasn't right. Then he'd seen the two brothers on the far edge of the bed, Sam leaning over it and Dean sitting on the edge beside him. Alarm bells went off in the ex Seal's head.

"What does it look like, man?" Dean growled. Sammy was still retching, his whole body heaving with his stomach. What little strength he'd managed to regain had evaporated, his head was hanging limply over the side. He didn't have the strength or energy to lift it up.

Nick slipped back out of the room and headed for the washroom. He came back with warm, wet towels and a basin of water. Silently he came into the room and moved to where the brothers still were on the bed. "Here."

Barely looking up, Dean grabbed the face cloth and towel. He put the face cloth on the back of Sam's neck and took a couple of ineffectual swipes at his face. It was hard to make sure he got it all because Sam was still lying limp as a rag doll.

"I'm going to get the others," Nick said. He paused long enough to snag the garbage can and then he headed out of the room.

"You do that," Dean muttered. "It's okay, Sammy. Just breathe."

O-O-O-O-O

"He's burning up," Rachel stated. She and Alex had just finished a quick examination of Sam. Once the dry heaves had stopped, Sam had fallen into an exhausted sleep. He didn't react at all to Nick and Dean rolling him over onto his back.

"That's a good sign, right? It means his body is fighting the contamination," Alex said. She knew a lot of things but tended to let Rachel lead when it came to medical issues. After all, she had gone to medical school to become a psychiatrist.

"Yes, it means that or it could be that his body is fighting the serum. We're going to have to keep a close eye on him and try to get the fever down," Rachel said as she absently tucked her blond hair behind her ears to get it out of her face. Other than the vomiting and the fever Sam seemed to have taken the serum well. That gave her hope. "I'm going to take another blood sample and see what it tells me."

"He's not a pin cushion," Dean growled. He really hated letting anyone else touch his brother. He knew these people meant well but they were still driving him around the bend.

"I understand your concern, Dean, but it's the best thing I can do at the moment," Rachel tried to reassure him. The bond between the brothers warmed her heart. Clearly they weren't used to depending on anyone but each other.

"Fine, do it. Then leave us alone for a while," Dean grumbled. He was sitting in a chair in the corner of the room. It must have been an expensive antique but to Dean it was just uncomfortable. Nick hovered nearby, wanting to be close but not knowing how to help.

The two women exchanged a glance before Rachel pulled the equipment she needed out of the bag at her feet. As quickly as she could she got her sample. "Keep cool cloths on his head. If the fever doesn't drop in the next two hours let me know."

"Thank you," Dean choked out. The two women left the room. Dean pried himself out of the chair and moved to his brother. Nick was still hovering nearby. He didn't have anything more constructive to do.

"I'll get some more cloths," the ex SEAL said. He left the room to give the brother some breathing room.

"Sammy, Sammy, what do we do now?" Dean muttered as he replaced the cloths. He sat down beside his brother and then he lay down beside him. As soon as he got settled, Sam rolled onto his side, still asleep, and moved up against Dean's side. For a moment Dean was twelve again and Sam was eight.

It had been during one of John's longer hunts. Sam had gotten sick, the flu or something from school. There was nothing Dean could do to make his little brother feel better. After two exhausting days Dean had finally fallen asleep. He'd awoken with a start, ashamed that he'd left his kid brother unattended only to discover that Sam had climbed into his bed and was curled up against his side.

Unconsciously, Dean slipped his right arm under Sam's head and drew it down onto his shoulder. Then he started looking around the room. There was certainly enough there to entertain him while he waited for his kid brother to start feeling better. Sighing, Dean settled in for the long haul.


	35. Chapter 35

_Thank you very much for the wonderful reviews! As a result I was inspired to turn out another chapter. I hope you like it!!_

_Thank you to Lurker for bringing the 'clothes' thing to my attention, I honestly hadn't noticed but I hate it when others let it slide so it's fixed._

_Susanne_

The day passed slowly. Dean hovered over his sleeping brother but couldn't leave him. Occasionally he changed the wet cloths keeping Sam's temperature down. Mostly he lie on the bed and looked at the items that littered the place. Yep it was definitely a museum. How could they stand to live among all of this? Dean shook his head. It just didn't seem quite right somehow.

Sitting in a daze beside Sam on the bed, Dean absently watched as the shadows from the large window crept across the comforter. Life didn't get any better than this. God, Dean hoped not. His skin was itching to get back on the road, to be away from these people, and their opulence.

"How's he doing?"Nick asked from the doorway. He carried in a tray with supper on it. He hadn't thought that Dean wanted to leave his brother and they could both do with something to eat. Expertly, he set the tray on the side table. He figured they'd get to it when they were ready.

"The fever is about the same. He hasn't woken up but otherwise everything is just peachy," Dean growled. He knew it wasn't Nick's fault. But he was the only conscious target for his foul mood.

"Here's some supper. It'll keep until you're both hungry," Nick stated. He chose to ignore the acid in Dean's voice. He supposed he'd be in about the same mood if his brother were that sick.

"Who called?" Dean asked. He'd heard the phone ringing a couple of times during Sam's nap. He didn't really give a crap but it was something to talk about.

"The first call was from Jonas. They've captured the man responsible for the demon summoning. Derek and Alex are packing their bags. They want to make sure the gate he used is closed and to make sure he hasn't opened anything else," Nick continued. He moved over to the window and opened it. The room was beginning to smell a little stale. Besides, it was a beautiful San Francisco night.

"Derek and Alex are going?" Dean asked. He'd started this hunt. It wouldn't feel right to not be there when it came to its conclusion. Dean wasn't much in doing the tag team thing.

"They're both perfectly capable," Nick said. He could see the heat rising in Dean's face. While he really didn't blame the younger man it had all ready been decided. Not that Nick had had much input either. He'd wanted to go as well but Derek vetoed the idea. Something about Nick's leg not healed enough yet.

"I'm not used to letting others do the clean up," Dean stated. He glanced at his brother's sleeping face. Sam was still curled into Dean's side. In fact he was beginning to sweat from the heat rolling off his little brother. His colour did seem to be coming back though. At least Dean hoped so.

"I understand that but I didn't think you wanted to head out to Florida without your brother," Nick replied. That had never even been an option Nick had considered. For that matter, neither had Derek, all ready they knew better.

"No. You're right about that," Dean ceded. He replaced the cloth that had been on Sam's forehead with a cool, damp one. Sam shifted listlessly under his hand.

"I'll come and check on you later. Hopefully Sam will have awoken up by then," Nick said as he headed back toward the door. "Rachel wants to check him over in about half an hour."

"Why didn't she go?" Dean asked. From what he understood the house usually went on jobs together. He understood Nick being left behind because of his wounded leg but as far as he could tell the blond woman had no such impediment.

"Derek wanted her to stay here until she's sure Sam's on the mend," Nick said, a slight grin gracing his lips. Whether Derek wanted to admit it or not, he was just as concerned for the brothers' health as he was.

"Oh," was all Dean could think to say. Then Nick left and Dean was reduced to staring at the bed spread again. Why the hell didn't they have televisions in the bedrooms? He wondered.

"Dean?" Sam croaked as his head shifted against Dean's side. Looking down, Dean found himself staring into his brother's eyes. They were clearer than they had been in days. Hope fluttered through the elder Winchester.

"Hello sleeping beauty," Dean quipped as he caught the cloth. It had begun to fall as Sam tried to gain a seated position. "How are you feeling?"

"Thirsty," was Sam's first response. It was immediately followed by "and hungry."

"Well, I just so happen to have some food right over here. I'll check to see what Jeeves made for supper tonight," Dean said in high spirits. He didn't know what the butler's name was but somehow that seemed appropriate.

"Don't you mean Alfred?" Sam muttered. It was the only butler name he could come up with. Besides, didn't that make Derek and Nick Batman and Robin?

Lifting the silver cover on the tray, Dean found a variety of sandwiches and two bowls of soup. Under the bowls were small tea lights keeping the fluid warm. These guys thought of everything. Also on the tray was a small grouping of fruit. There were two bottles of water and two coffee mugs and a carafe of coffee.

"Well, we have soup and sandwiches. What kind of sandwich are you in the mood for? I think this guy has about four varieties in here," Dean called over his shoulder. He pocketed the bottles of water. He had the feeling he was going to need both hands.

"Whatever," was Sam's response. He was hungry enough that it didn't really matter. So long as it was edible.

Rather than making a choice, Dean just moved the table closer. He turned to his tall kid brother and made sure he was properly propped up before handing him the bowl of soup. It was the fastest way to get food and liquid into him.

"Thanks," Sam said as he practically dove into the bowl. He couldn't ever remember being this hungry.

"Don't choke on it, man," Dean admonished. The only way Sam could eat the food faster was to tip the bowl up to his lips. Dean stifled a smile as he took a bite out of his sandwich. He watched as Sam finished the soup, handed him the bowl and snatched the first sandwich he could reach. Yep, Sam was definitely on the mend.

O-O-O-O-O

Later that night Rachel stopped by to check on the brothers. She was greatly heartened by the fact that they had finished everything on the tray. Even from the door way she could see that the youngest Winchester was feeling more like himself. He had showered and changed into clean clothes. When she entered the room he was sitting at the small table in the corner working on his laptop.

"How are you feeling?" the blond woman asked. She remained at the door way. This was the boys' room. She no longer had the right to just walk in.

"Much better," Sam replied as he glanced up from the glowing screen. He'd eaten too much but was keeping it down without a problem. He figured Dean wasn't that worried about him anymore either because he had left to go take a shower too. "Thank you."

"I'm very glad to hear that," Rachel responded, a smile gracing her features. "Well, have a good sleep."

"Thanks, you too," Sam said. It was the first time he'd really looked at the woman. She was older, about forty, but she was still beautiful. Some part of him was embarrassed to have been treated by her. She was too good looking. Shy all of a sudden, Sam ducked his head and looked back at the screen. He was at least grateful that Dean hadn't been here to see his discomfort. Being the older brother that he was, Dean would have never let him live it down.

"Good night," Rachel said, the smile growing deeper. Then she left, headed toward Nick's room and then her own. She wanted to apprise the security specialist of the improvement in Sam's condition before she turned in for the night. At last, some good news.

O-O-O-O-O

There was an incessant ringing in Dean's ears. It took him a few moments to realize the sound wasn't in the dream he was having but in the real world. Blinking awake, the eldest Winchester looked around the room. It didn't feel like it had been very long since he and Sammy had gone to bed. Beside him Sam rolled up into a sitting position and turned toward him.

"What's going on?" Sam asked hoping his brother knew what was happening.

"It's three in the morning, dude. Who the hell calls a house like this at three in the morning?" Dean wanted to know. He pulled the sheet off and stood up. He was dressed in a t shirt and sweats. Sam was dressed pretty much the same. Dean moved over to the door and cracked it open.

Outside the door Dean could hear feet padding toward him. In a nightlight down the hallway he caught a glimpse of Nick. The smaller man held a finger to his lips, indicating that Dean should stay silent. Then he slipped in the door and carefully shut it.

"We have a problem," Nick breathed. He didn't want to talk any louder than necessary. The brothers moved closer. They had picked up on the tension in Nick's muscles and stance.

"What kind of problem?" Dean asked in an equally quiet voice. The whole situation was making the hairs stand up on his arms. He reached between Nick and Sam and extracted his gun from under his pillow.

"We had to contact some of the other houses to find help for Sam. Unfortunately, not all of them are as broad minded as we are about a human having demon blood running through him," Nick explained quickly. He moved over to the door and peeked out before continuing.

"We just got a call from the pier. Two van loads of people have landed on a chartered ferry. We aren't expecting anyone. This just doesn't seem quite right and I'm not willing to take a chance that it's nothing. I want you two to come with me. I know of a place to put you until I know what's going on," Nick finished. Derek was going to kill him but all outside lines were severed. He had no choice but to make sure the brothers were safe until he dealt with the situation.

"I'm not hiding," Dean growled. He checked his weapon and made sure it was loaded and ready to go. Of course it was, it was just a nervous habit.

"Yes, you are," Nick growled back. "If these people are other Legacy members they are deadly serious. How many humans have you killed recently?"

The last part made Dean pause. It was one thing to kill a demon or a ghost. It was something else entirely to shoot a human, no matter how ill intentioned or tempered.

"Fine," Dean finally ceded glancing at Sam. If they were both up to full speed he would have simply left. While Sammy seemed to be feeling a lot better Dean wasn't willing to take the chance of a relapse.

"Okay, follow me," Nick whispered. He checked outside the door one last time and then he slipped out. Dean pushed Sam out next. Then he brought up the rear. He wanted to make sure that Sam made it to wherever they were going. So much for things looking up.


	36. Chapter 36

"Why don't we just jump in the car and get the hell out of here?" Sam asked quietly. Nick was in the lead because he was the only one who knew where they were going.

"They have control of the pier. Rachel tried calling down there a minute ago and no one answered," Nick replied. It was then that Sam realized the shorter man had an ear bud receiver in his ear and was clearly getting updates. "The only way off the island at the moment is the helicopter and I'm sure they've all ready done something to it as well."

"I'm not going anywhere without the Impala," Dean supplied from the back. Not only had his father given him the car, all of their equipment was in it. "We're going to need things from the trunk."

"No time!" Nick hissed. He quickly checked the room they were about to enter before motioning to brothers inside. Quietly he closed the big wooden door behind them.

"What the hell?" Dean breathed as he looked around the room. It was like all the others, over done and somewhat stifling in nature. As far as he could tell the only exit was the door they'd just come in. "Why did you bring us here?"

"Ssshh," Nick hissed. Dean's voice had risen slightly in his agitation. He really wanted to get Sammy someplace safe but this didn't appear to be it. Motioning to the brothers, the ex Seal drew them to one of the walls. He pressed his finger against a keypad that appeared and then the entire wall disappeared.

"Whoa!" Dean gasped as he involuntarily took a step back. The wall had seemed solid enough to him until just now.

"Come on," Nick ordered as he stepped over where the wall had been. A little unsure, the brothers followed, Dean still bringing up the rear. In an instant the wall reappeared but they were able to see through it to the room beyond.

"That's completely wild," Sam stated. He never imagined that such a thing existed except on Star Trek. These guys really did have money to burn.

"How safe is this?" Dean asked as he quickly scanned the room with its myriad electronics on the walls, counters and standing alone. Suddenly he missed having a simple salt and burn to do.

"They know it exists somewhere in the house but we don't let anyone but house staff inside. They could tear the place apart and never find it," Nick replied. He assumed his usual position at a computer consol. Rachel was busy working on some kind of an experiment. She glanced up at the men and nodded her head at them in hello. Then she turned her attention back to the microscope slide she'd been examining.

"They can't get in here?" Sam asked. He just wanted to make absolutely sure. While he was feeling more like himself the short trip to this room had used up most of his strength. He found the nearest chair and collapsed into it.

"Just who the hell are these 'they'?" Dean wanted to know. He knew he trusted Nick and was learning to trust Rachel but he wasn't willing to stake his brother's life on them. "Why are the other Houses so interested in us?"

"The Legacy likes to think they are the final defence against the supernatural. The mere thought that there might be someone else around who can do their job scares that crap out of some of the members. Not all of them are as altruistic as the newer generation. Some of them are more concerned about maintaining their own personal power and position than they are about finding the truth," Rachel said. She was still staring at the slide. Dean wasn't sure if it was because whatever was on it was really that interesting or that she just didn't want to look directly at the brothers.

"That's true of any large organization, isn't it?" Nick asked. He was anxiously watching the monitors. So far nothing unusual had appeared on the cameras surround the grounds and the house but he knew that wouldn't last forever. "There's always some form of cancer that appears."

"That's comforting," Dean growled. He glanced at Sam. He could see the exhaustion written on his little brother's pale face. They were going to have to hunker down and survive this thing right here. Sammy didn't have it in him for a hit and run battle. To be honest, Dean wasn't sure he had it in him either. These were humans they were talking about, people.

"Any sign?" Rachel asked. She sat back from the microscope and looked at Nick. She was grateful her daughter, Kat or Katherine, had gone to spend the weekend with friends. She was one less person to worry about.

"No. I'm watching all the cameras and I can't see them at all. Either they're still deciding how to assault us or they know where the cameras are. If that's the case, whichever members are out there they've been here before," Nick replied, his eyes never leaving the screens as he switched between view points.

"Couldn't you just phone the police? Tell them there are people trespassing on your property?" Sam asked. He hated the idea of calling the cops but if he and Dean stayed in this room they weren't likely to find them.

"Well, even if they could get out here all the phones are down, including the cells. They have some kind of a jamming device and they've cut the land lines," Nick replied. Unconsciously he propped his injured leg up underneath the computer desk. It had begun to ache dully.

With a curse, Dean realized he and Sammy had left their cell phones back in the room. They were beginning to lose their edge and he didn't much like it. Unsure what else to do, Dean began pacing around the confines of the room. He really hated feeling useless.

O-O-O-O-O

Minutes turned to an hour, then two. Dean had worn a path in the carpet of the command centre and had finally collapsed into the only other available chair. Nick and Rachel were busy doing their own things and didn't seem too inclined to conversation. Behind Dean he could hear Sam lightly snoring. His little brother had finally given in to his exhaustion and fallen asleep in his chair.

"What are they doing?" Dean exploded as he vaulted out of the chair. He couldn't take much more of this. To his surprise, Sam didn't even react to his outburst. Man he must be tired, he thought as he glanced at Sam's sleeping form.

"I'm not sure," Nick admitted. He'd been staring at the screens, hoping to see some sign of movement. So far all he'd accomplished was to cause a mild kink in his shoulders. Sighing in frustration, he pried his cramped body out of the chair and carefully stretched. "I thought they knew where the cameras are but maybe they haven't been here before and need to wait until morning to make their move."

"What time is it?" Dean asked. It felt to him like it should be an hour past sun up by now but he could see the darkness outside the windows on the other side of the invisible wall.

"Sunrise isn't for another forty five minutes. It'll take another half hour for there to be enough light for them to see enough to affect an attack," Nick responded. He'd moved over to one of the cupboards along one of the walls and produced a hot pot of coffee. The house members were used to spending long hours in the command centre so Derek had allowed them to keep a few amenities around. "Coffee?"

"Oh, God, yes," Dean breathed. The very thought of coffee made his mouth water. It had been far too long. He inhaled deeply of the rich aroma when Nick handed him a steaming cup. Sinking back down in his chair, Dean turned to face his brother and prepared to enjoy the most wonderful liquid in the world, next to beer of course.

O-O-O-O-O

"When are Derek and Alex coming back?" Rachel asked. It had been an hour since Dean had gotten his first cup of coffee. Now he was onto his third. Absently he'd wondered if there was a bathroom in here but at this point it didn't really matter.

"Depends on how long it takes them to deal with the man who raised the demons," Nick responded. He too was on his third cup. It was getting a little bit harder to concentrate on the screens. His uninjured leg was bouncing on the ball of his foot under the computer desk. This was going to be his last cup for a little while. "I don't expect them for another day or two."

"That's not going to help us at all," Rachel said. As a way to distract herself she'd continued working on the serum and the properties of Sam's blood. If Dean had realized that was what she was doing he might have caused her serious bodily harm. Luckily, though, he hadn't asked any questions. He was too agitated by being forced to sit in this little room.

"Wait, I think I just saw something," Nick said. He nearly knocked over his half full cup of coffee but managed to catch it just in time. Placing the cup on the floor, Nick stared intently at the middle image. There it was again. "Someone is headed for the side garden. The most likely entry will be the French doors on the south side."

"How many of them are there?" Dean asked. He moved over to look at the screens for himself. Sam was still sleeping in his chair. Dean' wasn't sure if a nuclear bomb could wake him at the moment.

"Hard to tell. They don't seem to know the location of the cameras but they are trying to stick to the bushes to hide their numbers and their numbers," Nick said. The two men were joined by Rachel. She'd run out of useful tests to run over an hour ago. She'd just been running anything that came to mind since then. Nick was distinctly aware of the two pairs of eyes peering over his shoulders.

"I count three so far," Dean stated. "They're wearing fatigues. Does that jibe with them being Legacy?"

"Yeah, there's a house out of Nebraska that has more of a paramilitary feel to it. I've seen one of their members in fatigues before," Nick responded. They were too far away to see the faces clearly. Even if he bothered to zoom the lens he still wouldn't be able to identify them. "But the people outside may be from different houses. They could be dressed like that to make it harder for us to see them or to create the sense of their being a group."

"That could be used to our advantage, couldn't it?" Rachel asked. "If they aren't used to working together we may be able to get them to make mistakes."

"You're right," Nick said as he moved back from the screens. Rachel was dead on. While they were all dressed the same, the three people Dean had pointed out weren't moving as a cohesive unit like Jonas and his crew. "Well, Dean. Do you feel up to doing a little recognisance?"

"What do you have in mind?" Dean wanted to know. He glanced at his still sleeping sibling. Sam didn't look particularly comfortable in the small chair with his long limbs. At least more colour had come to his face and he was resting peacefully. The last thing Dean wanted at the moment was to separate from his brother.

"We both have the training. Let's see if we can whittle their numbers down before they get to the house," Nick suggested. He all ready knew what the eldest Winchester's answer was going to be. Moving away from the computer, Nick started rummaging through the cupboards and drawers.

"Sure, why not?" Dean responded. He was willing to do anything to improve the odds of getting all of them out of here alive.

"Here," Nick said as he handed Dean a .9mm hand gun along with three 9 round clips as well as a sawed off shotgun. Dean took the shotgun with relief. It wasn't quite his own but it was pretty damned close. Suddenly their chances of surviving this had increased. "Let's go do some damage control."


	37. Chapter 37

_Hello. I`ve been particularly inspired the last couple of days, hence the quick updates. I guess I`m feeling more like myself. I just wanted to warn you that tactical manoeuvres are not something I`m very good at so if this chapter is a little lame I am sorry. It was the best I could come up with. _

_Thank you very much to masondixon, sammygirl 1963 and eggylaine for your continued support. Your comments are very insightful and very much appreciated. Please continue!!!_

_I hope you enjoy this chapter. I have the feeling we`re reaching the end but what do I know. Another crisis could be just around the corner. ;)_

_Susanne_

"Don't kill anyone if you have a choice," Nick instructed quietly. The two men were silently making their way down the staircase. Each had their hand guns out, ready to use if necessary. Nick was in the lead, ignoring the ache in his leg.

"That was what I had in mind," Dean responded. He wasn't used to working with Nick but he all ready seemed to know what the older man had in mind. He was just as glad, though, that he had taken the lead. As much of the house as Dean had seen, he knew he would get lost if left to his own devices. Worry for Sammy kept gnawing at his mind. Dean was forced to squash it. He needed to have all of his attention on the here and now.

Reaching the main floor, Nick headed for the French doors. The cameras had indicated that the intruders were still far enough outside that the house should still be safe. Nick hated going on assumptions but his leg wasn't going to let him wander any further than necessary. He had the feeling that Dean was having similar difficulties but he was a little better at hiding it.

Nick sidled up to the side of the doors and quickly glanced outside. The dark didn't really let him see much. Tentatively, he tried the door handle. It was still locked. That was a good thing. Satisfied that the house was still secure, Nick headed back out of the room. The intruders had been headed for these doors. Nick didn't plan on going out of them and being really good targets.

As quickly has he could manage, Nick led Dean to the front door. The car port would afford them more cover than the open garden at the back door. He opened the wooden door inward and glanced to both sides. This time he took longer to make sure there were no signs of movement. Well, he thought, it's as good as it's going to get.

Taking a deep breath to steel himself, Nick slid out the door and scrambled silently over the metal railing so he could hug the wall. A slight bump beside him and Dean had joined him. Scanning everything in front of him and to their left, Nick crept along the side of the wall. Faster than he'd thought possible, he was looking around the corner of the wall into the gardens beyond.

"Anything?" Dean breathed. He couldn't see from where he was and he hated it. Dean was used to being the one on the lead, knowing what was coming.

"Nothing," Nick responded.

O-O-O-O-O

"What do you mean he's not here?" Sam demanded. The youngest Winchester had woken to the absence of his brother. He couldn't believe Dean would go out there without him.

"You aren't up to being out there with them," Rachel defended their actions. Apparently that was the wrong approach to take. As she watched, Sam drew himself up to his full height and glared at her.

"I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself," Sam countered.

"I'm sure you are," Rachel reassured the tall younger man. He was really quite imposing when he was angry. "But you needed rest more than you needed to be out in the dark chasing shadows."

"That 's what we do," Sam said. It had been a good show but all ready he was starting to pale and lose his stiffly upright stance. Damn he hated being sick. "How long until I'm completely healed?"

"It'll take you nearly a week to get your full strength back. Your body has been under quite a strain the last few days," Rachel answered. Now that Sam wasn't trying to intimidate her, she moved around the table and helped him sit back down on his chair. Once he was settled, she drew over the other chair to put his long legs on. "You really need to give yourself as much time as it takes. Otherwise you run the risk of a relapse or worse."

"Great," Sam grumbled. Frustrated at being left behind, Sam curled up on his side and kept watch on the room beyond the wall.

"There's something I should tell you Sam," Rachel stated. Even with his head turned away from the petite blond woman, Sam could hear the hesitation in her voice. Curious, he turned to face her.

"I've been running tests on your blood. I was just trying to stay busy so that I wouldn't have to think about what was going on. During the tests I found something interesting. I think I've found a way to eliminate the demon blood from your body," Rachel said in a rush. It was like pulling a bandage off, the faster you did it the less it hurt.

"What?" Sam gasped, completely taken aback. The possibility had never occurred to him. He thought he was doomed to live out his life as something not quite human.

O-O-O-O-O

Using every skill he learned as a hunter, Dean creeped up on the man bringing up the rear of the short column. Coming at the man sideways, Dean was able to knock the man unconscious with the butt of his hand gun. Expertly he caught the man and quietly lowered him to the ground. The last thing he wanted was to alert the other seven people in the group to his presence.

Off to his right, Dean could just make out Nick similarly dispatching a second rear guardsman. Both men pulled rope out of their back pockets and expertly trussed their prey to keep them from interfering in what was to come. The last thing they did was to press a length of duct tape over the men's mouths.

Nick nodded to Dean, indicating he was ready to move on to the next person in line. Dean wasn't sure how long their luck was going to last but he was willing to push it as long as he could.

By the time the third person was rendered unconscious the other five were beginning to get a little suspicious. Dean could hear a radio crackling quietly behind him in the bushes where he'd dumped the last victim. Clearly the leader of this group was looking for the misplaced people.

Rather than take the chance that they were going to double back to check on the missing, Dean silently sprinted across to where he knew Nick was hiding behind a series of rose bushes. Together they watched as the group reached the French doors. The leader paused and spoke in his radio again, looking for his lost men.

"Let's get out of here before they come looking," Nick breathed into Dean's nearest ear. He wasn't taking any chance of being overheard. "We'll take them out as they enter the house. Aim for the extremities."

Dean indicated that he understood and then was running behind Nick, headed back for the front door. The young hunter wasn't sure if the Legacy had planned it this way and arranged the plantings for this purpose, but they kept in the shadows all the way back to the front door. The hardest part was making sure that no one could hear them. Time was of the essence but so was stealth.

By the time the two injured men got in the house and back to the room with the French doors, there was a small crash. Dean couldn't believe they had broken the pane of glass on the door closest to the door knob to get in. That was beyond amateurish. Dean wondered if all the other Legacy houses were this incompetent. Somehow he doubted it. The Winchester luck was running too true to form for that to be the case.

Nick took up position on the far side of the hallway side of the door, his gun pointed at the five forms making their way inside. Dean crouched on his side of the doorway and took careful aim. He wanted to immobilize these people, not kill them. That was a last resort that Dean would rather not consider.

Bile rising in Dean's throat at the thought of killing a human, he glanced at Nick to see if he was just as nervous. The security specialist didn't even look at him. Nick's entire attention was on the intruders that had just finished entering the room. He'd located the leader.

The thought of giving them fair warning fluttered through Nick's mind. Then it flew away in the anger swirling through his system. He doubted very much that they would have had similar misgivings when it came to the Winchesters. Taking a deep breath, Nick aimed at the leader's left thigh and pulled the trigger.

A slight sound of displaced air and then the leader was falling to his knees, a scream ripped from his throat as the bullet found its mark. Pandemonium erupted in the room. The leader was on the ground, gripping his leg, trying to stop the bleeding. The other four members were fanning out, trying to reduce their visibility. It was too late.

Two more of the figures dropped, bullets finding their legs. Then Nick stepped out, his gun trained on the last two. "You've come to the wrong house," he stated. As he passed each of the injured, he secured their weapons. None of them put up a fight, too busy dealing with the pain and the beginnings of shock.

"Hands up!" Dean barked as he stepped into the room and slid to the left. He made sure he had a good bead on both of the intruders at all times. "Toss your weapons over to Nick."

"We were just following orders, Nick," one of the upright men whined as he tossed his gun. "The Precepts held a vote."

"Not all of them," Nick spat back. "Derek would never have agreed."

"You shot Legacy members for these outsiders," the second person said. In the gloom the female voice seemed somehow out of place. "How could you do that?"

"The Legacy was created to protect the innocent. That's exactly what we're doing," Nick responded. "Pick up your people and get the hell out of here. If they die it'll be on your hands, not ours."


	38. Chapter 38

_Hi. I'm sorry that this is a shorter chapter but this seemed like a good place to stop. The Dean whumping later on in this chapter is for you masondixon. I hadn't planned on it but somehow it just seemed to fit what was going on. ;) There will be more pain and suffering in the chapter to come, then I'll have to see about drawing all of this to a close. Thanks for coming along for the ride everyone!!_

_Susanne_

Not really trusting the other Legacy members, Nick decided to stay in the house to supervise the removal of the injured. He sent Dean outside to release the ones they'd tied up. The two who were still upright were going to need help. Nick figured the three outside should be just about enough manpower.

In the darkness, Dean made his way to the first tied person. His legs were starting to ache from the tension and continued usage over the last few hours. He chose to ignore it was he stepped over the thrashing man on the ground. "Hold still," he barked. The last thing he wanted to do was to accidently cut the man with his knife because he moved at an inopportune time.

Under his hands, Dean felt the man continue to struggle. Even in the dark he could feel the hate in the man's eyes above the strip of duct tape. "I'm going to let you go so you can go help move your friends at the house. Any funny business, I'll shoot you and you become one of the problems," Dean growled. He really wasn't in the mood to deal with a jerk.

Hatred still burning in the man's eyes, he suddenly became compliant and sat quietly while Dean sliced the rope on his feet and then his hands. As soon as the man's hands were free he pulled the duct tape off and scrambled to his feet. Growling deep in his throat, the man squared off on Dean.

"You really don't want to do this," Dean warned him as he levelled the handgun at his chest. "You all ready have three injured. Don't make it more."

Standing perfectly still the Legacy member considered his options. Dean could almost see the gears churning in his head. Then he relaxed his body and stood more upright. "Where are they?" he asked simply.

"Through the French doors," Dean responded. He waited for the man to turn and head toward the house before he mentally dismissed the man and turned his attention to the next one.

The second man didn't seem to have any fight in him at all. He just lay on the ground and waited for Dean to cut the bonds. "Your friends are in the house, though the French doors. They need help getting the injured out," Dean informed him. The man nodded his understanding and headed out.

"You're welcome," Dean grumbled under his breath. Just one more and he would be able to go check on Sam. His big brother Spidy sense was telling him something was up.

When he reached the location of the first man he'd knocked unconscious, Dean was surprised to find the spot empty. Instantly he was on alert. Somehow the person had gotten out of the ropes. He began a slow circle, just to make sure he was alone.

Just as he moved toward a large tree trunk a shadow disengaged itself from the darkness and then another one from the other side of the tree. Instinctively Dean knew someone was there. He turned toward the nearest presence, the gun rising in his hand. With an unspoken signal, the two men attacked simultaneously.

O-O-O-O-O

Nick had begun pacing around the room. Dean was taking far too long. Frustrated, he glanced at the three injured men and the two men and one woman as they sat around the centre of the room. They were waiting for Dean and the other two Legacy members to return.

"Damn it," Nick growled under his breath. He couldn't leave these people unguarded, nor could he ask Rachel to hold them at gun point. She'd done it before but quite honestly she wasn't particularly convincing. Keying his ear piece, Nick spoke to the control room. "Rachel, is Sam up?"

There was a long pause. Nick could feel every eye in the room centered on him. The other Legacy members clearly recognized the name. "Rachel?"

"Yeah, sorry about that Nick," Rachel finally said into his ear. ""I'm sorry but Sam isn't feeling very well at the moment."

"Why?" Nick asked. Unconsciously he'd moved as far away from the others as he could and still keep an eye on them. He didn't want them to hear the conversation if he could help it.

"He's reacting to something in the serum," Rachel hedged. "I'm sure he'll be fine in a few hours. Is there anything that I can help you with?"

"Ah, no. That's okay. Just keep an eye on him," Nick said. Worry for both the Winchesters gnawed at his mind. Damn he wished Derek were here.

O-O-O-O-O

Dean stepped backward to try to put more room between himself and his assailants. He was still very hesitant to kill the men. It was one thing to kill a possessed human when an exorcism doesn't work, it was quite another to kill an unarmed man simply because he was threatening you.

Before Dean had a chance to react, the second man stepped forward and launched a kick at his head. Dean slid to the side in an effort to side step the action. Unfortunately the other man was there waiting for him. Bright stars appeared before his eyes then Dean slumped to the ground, unconscious.

Still angered by their earlier treatment, the two men set about kicking the man. Even unconscious, groans issued from Dean's lips as they continued the beating.

The first Legacy member slowly became aware of a sound off in the distance. The noise they were making had covered it up for the last three minutes. By the time he realized that it was the sound of a helicopter, a bright light appeared from the sky. It shone down on them making the night day.

"Stay where you are," a voice ordered over a loud speaker. The helicopter was landing twenty feet away, avoiding the large tree and its branches but landing on a low growing section of the garden. Stunned, neither man had expected helicopter support or interference, the two men stopped kicking Dean and turned to the men issuing from the side of the vehicle.

There were five of them. The one in the back was easily identified as Derek Raines. The four leading the charge, however, were new to them. The large attack rifles they brandished expertly made them think twice about trying to disappear into the trees.

"Who are you?" the tallest man demanded. The other three were keeping pace with Derek bringing up the rear. The four men were staring at them down the sights of their rifles, flashlights pointed at their faces. The helicopter had remained on the ground, its blades still turning. They wanted to make sure they could get out in a hurry if they had to.

"They're Legacy," Derek answered for them as he joined his body guards. "Dean?"

For the first time the San Francisco house Precept had noticed the man lying on the ground at the members' feet. "What the hell is going on?" Derek demanded as he rushed to the younger man's side.

"We were sent," the first member stated. He kept watch on the four men. They were clearly more of a threat than the Precept. His partner had agreed with the assessment and was also concentrating on them.

"By whom?" Derek demanded. Dean was a mess. They'd been too late to keep the members from doing a thorough job of beating the crap out of him. But, true to his stubborn nature, Dean was all ready showing signs of coming around.

"The Precepts," was the answer.

Anger burned in Derek's head and chest. How dare they pass summary judgement on these two young men. None of the other Precepts had taken the time to get to know them. "Well, then, I guess you get to carry Dean into the house for me. If you injure him further I will let my companions have a go at you."


	39. Chapter 39

_Hi. This chapter feels a little more forced than any of the other ones. Unfortunately I can't figure out how to fix it. So, here it is in all its rawness. I hope you enjoy it!_

"Get off me!" Dean growled. He'd come around a few seconds after Derek had arrived. Roughly he pushed the two men away. He staggered for a moment while he tried to find his own legs again. How did he let the two Legacy members get the drop on him? Silently he cursed himself. He was getting soft.

Quickly he glanced around to locate the Legacy members, Derek and the four men hovering in the background. He knew that the Precept and the men behind him offered him no threat. But the two Legacy members were too damned close for his liking. Abruptly, he pushed against both of the men holding him by the arms.

"Sure thing," the taller of the two men said as he stepped away. He'd hated to have to touch the younger man. He was unclean if he was willing to harbour a demon blood.

"Dean, are you all right?" Derek asked as he quickly covered the distance between them. Behind the Precept the four men shadowed him. In the dim light, Dean was sure he recognized Bob. That gave him a bit of peace. But he hated himself for that reaction.

"I'm fine," Dean spat. He knew he was far from fine. He could feel the denim of his jeans sticking to his leg where a couple of his gashes had been reopened. His right side burned with each breath, indicating at best a couple of deeply bruised ribs, at worst they were broken. As well, Dean could feel that his left eye was starting to swell shut.

"Good to see you too," Derek responded, trying to hide his concern for the young man. When he'd seen the two men beating on Dean, he'd wanted to knock their heads together. But, being a Precept, he squashed the urge and instead reached out to help the clearly struggling Dean.

"Yeah, thanks for that," Dean muttered after a moment. Briefly he'd contemplated thrusting Derek away. All he really wanted to do was to get upstairs to check on Sam. But then his leg tried to go out from under him as pain flashed through it. Damn them. Dean hissed through clenched teeth.

"Where're Nick and the others?" Derek asked. He'd caught Dean under his left arm and was helping him toward the house. "And what the hell are you doing here?"

"Nick is in the house with the other Legacy members who tried to storm the house. Sam and Rachel are on the second floor," Dean responded quietly toward Derek's nearest ear. He didn't want the other two men to know where his brother was.

"We were sent by the Precepts," the taller of the two members announced, some of his former confidence returning. He stepped toward Derek. While the San Francisco member was a house Precept, the member had been given his orders from higher up.

"We will discuss that in a moment," Derek cut the man off. He was more concerned about Dean and the others in the house.

"If these two cause a problem, you have my permission to shoot them," Derek said to the men behind him. Then he set off with Dean. The house seemed so far away as he felt the younger man quickly losing his strength.

O-O-O-O-O

"Derek?" Nick said, not quite believing his eyes. The helicopter had landed far enough away that the walls of the house had muffled its approach. Until Nick saw the doors open, he'd had no idea that his boss was back on the island. Relief flowed through him upon seeing Derek and Dean, and then anger at realizing that Dean was being helped. "What the hell happened?"

"I'll fill you in once we get these people on their way," Derek stated. Carefully he helped Dean onto the nearest chair. The young hunter tried to regain his feet but his leg just wouldn't maintain him anymore.

"What would you like us to do?" Jonas asked. He and his men were standing at the French doors, their rifles slung in their arms.

"Please escort these people off the island, any way you deem necessary," Derek said. After working with these men so closely for the last two days, he trusted them to do the job without his supervision.

"You heard the man," Jonas said to the other three men. They spread out, intent on getting the members moving.

"You'll be hearing about the counsel about this," the leader barked as he was pulled to his feet.

"Don't worry, I'll be talking to the counsel shortly," Derek responded.

Dean waited for the other men to be led out of the room before he spoke. "Where's Sam?" he asked.

"Rachel said he was ill when I talked to her just a few minutes ago," Nick responded. "They got the drop on you, did they?"

"No comment," was the only thing Dean could come up with. He was itching to race up the stairs but he couldn't quite make it on his own and the others seemed to be content to stand around and gab.

"Don't feel too badly, Dean. I know those two. They were both Special Forces before they joined the Legacy. I was surprised we got the drop on them in the first place," Nick admitted. He moved over to Dean now that the lights were on so he could get a better work on their handiwork.

"That makes me feel so much better," Dean grumbled. There were still no excuses, at least not in his book. "You said Sam is sick?"

"Yeah, that's what Rachel said. Let's go upstairs and check on him. Rachel can get a look at you while we're up there," Nick suggested. Gently, he helped Dean back up onto his feet and then toward the staircase. The Unit members had gotten everyone up on their feet and were shuffling them out the door. Derek decided to follow them upstairs. He wanted to know about Sam too.

O-O-O-O-O

The first thing Dean became aware of upon reaching the top of the stairs was the sound of retching. "Sammy," he breathed as he tried to rush down the hallway toward the bathroom. Nick barely managed to keep up with him.

Inside the well lit bathroom, Dean found his brother huddled over the cool porcelain toilet. As he watched a vile, black, tar like substance burst from his mouth and dribbled into the water inside. Beside him Rachel was hovering, unsure of how to help him.

"What the hell happened?" Dean demanded, his own injuries quickly forgotten. Without waiting for the response, Dean fell to his knees beside his still heaving brother. Dean glanced at Sam's pale face and saw beads of sweat on his forehead causing his long brown bangs to stick to his head.

Sam's back arched with the strength of the heaves but he didn't get any time between to try to recuperate. He tried to keep from falling face first into the dirty water by bracing his body with his strong arms over the rim of the toilet. As Dean watched, Sam's arms began to shake with fatigue. How long had this been going on?

"It's a reaction to the serum I gave him," Rachel said as she glanced nervously at her two male companions. Dean made her a little nervous so she was grateful for Nick and Derek's presence. "What happened downstairs?"

"Damage control," Nick said. He and Derek had stayed outside the bathroom. It was only so big and was all ready seeming a little crowded. Nick felt the urge to try to comfort the younger man, both of them actually. It was a strange sensation for him. "What serum did you give Sam?"

"While doing blood tests I found a serum that would eliminate the demon blood in his system. I think that's what's coming out of him now. The serum adheres to the foreign blood cells, causes them to precipitate out and then they have to be expelled from his body," Rachel responded. She was still hovering nearby but she wasn't really all that concerned for the young man. While painful and exhausting, she didn't think there would be any lasting effects from his round of vomiting.

"What? You're kidding, right?" Dean couldn't believe his ears. A cure for the demon blood, and Sammy had willingly taken it? Dean felt his world take a step to the left while his feet stayed in the same place. He glanced up at Rachel and then Nick. From the stunned expression on Nick's face, he believed what Rachel had told them.

"Dean?" Sam managed between heaves. Despite his best efforts, Sam was beginning to slump on the toilet. What strength he'd regained while resting was completely gone. He felt as weak as a newborn kitten and Sam hated it. Sam hated it especially because there were strangers around to witness it.

"Yeah, Sammy, I'm here," Dean tried to reassure his baby brother. He moved a little closer and started to rub his bowed back. Crouched beside Sam, he felt his brother slowly begin to lean against him. Sam's tall frame was trembling with exhaustion but the heaving had begun to slow down. "Take it easy."

"I'm sorry. I had to take the chance," Sam breathed as he slumped a little further into Dean's embrace. His skin was cold and clammy so the heat from Dean's body was a welcome relief.

"You should have talked to me about it first, Sam," Dean admonished him. While the answer probably would have been the same, Dean hated that Sam hadn't consulted him first.

"What happened to your face, dude?" Sam asked. His eyes were finally starting to focus again. He was shocked to see the black eye and as he watched a grimace passed over his brother's face. It had been nearly a minute since the last spasm had passed through his body. Sam was hopeful it meant it was over. He certainly hoped so. The substance that had been coming out of his body had tasted horrible, causing even more spasms.

"Nothing," Dean grumbled as he pulled Sam a little closer. He was up against Dean's injured side, making breathing a little bit harder but Dean wasn't ready to let go yet. At this point he wasn't sure he'd been ready to anytime soon.

Derek, Nick and Rachel had abandoned the bathroom and were in the hallway having a quick, quiet conference. Nick kept looking into the room to make sure the brothers were okay. He felt awful that Dean had been beaten on his watch and that Sam was in worse shape than before.

"Are you done?" Dean asked. He too had noticed that the vomiting seemed to be over. At least he hoped it was. Sammy may be his little brother but even after being so sick and not eating properly, Sam still outweighed him. The pressure on his ribs was getting worse. If he didn't get up soon, Dean was afraid he'd pass out. Not something they needed at the moment.

"Yeah, I think so," Sam responded as he ran a trembling hand over his mouth. Not looking at the contents of the bowl, he reached over and flushed it. Then Dean was helping him to his feet, a tight, frozen look on his face. "What the hell happened?"

"I'll explain later," Dean hedged. He wasn't sure how much into details he was willing to get with his brother, now or ever. He was still smarting that he let the Special Forces men get the jump on him. To forestall any more questions, Dean ran some water into a cup and handed it to his barely vertical brother. "Rinse your mouth out and drink what you can."

"Yes, mother," Sam quipped. He was grateful to get the awful taste out of his mouth. Then he drained what was left. He couldn't remember ever being this thirsty.

O-O-O-O-O

"So, what now?" Nick asked. The brothers were back in their room. Sam was extremely weak from the serum and its effect on his body. Rachel had reassured him that it was completely normal but he still didn't like it.

"Let them sleep," Derek replied. While Dean was going to be very sore for a few days, none of the damage the members had done was permanent. Once Rachel had finished her examination of the elder Winchester, much to Dean's consternation, Derek was satisfied that they'd come through the attack fairly well.

Rather than risk disturbing the Winchesters, Nick and Derek had gone down to the main floor. Where Nick really wanted to be was the command centre so he could keep watch over everyone but until Jonas and his people came back they couldn't.

"After that?" Nick persisted. He was concerned that the other Legacy members weren't going to be very forgiving of their injuring members and sending them packing. They'd involved a section of the government. That was something that was an action of last resort. If Nick found any reason of concern, he was going to make sure that the brothers were off the island and long gone. Despite his loyalty to the Legacy, he couldn't stomach handing them over.

"Once Rachel completes her analysis of Sam's blood and confirms that the demon blood is gone, the Legacy will have no reason to trouble the brothers. I'll wait for her before I contact the others," Derek assured him. It wasn't a conversation he was looking forward to but he would do it.

"Some members of the Legacy will still want to curtail Sam and Dean's activities. They don't believe that any other people or organizations have the training to deal with the things we do. I think that the Winchesters have a very real role to play in the battle between good and evil. If we try to prevent them, we will be the ones to suffer the consequences," Nick stated. He was pacing the living room. He and Derek had cleaned up the room the French doors led to. But he still had a lot of excess energy to try to deal with.

"I agree and that will be part of the argument I will present to the other members. For now, let's wait for Jonas and the others to come back," Derek directed as he collapsed into a large, comfortable chair. It had been a really long couple of days and he was suddenly feeling very tired.


	40. Chapter 40

"They're gone," Jonas informed them as he and his men walked into the entryway. The other three members of the Unit looked remarkably well rested. The only indication of Bob's earlier injuries was a subtle clicking sound as his twisted knee moved. Nick assumed it came from a brace with metal supports on either side of it. He'd had to wear one himself once and the sound was pretty much the same.

"Thank you," Derek responded. The Legacy members had gathered in the entryway to greet the returning soldiers. Rachel was looking a little overwhelmed by everything that had happened or it could simply be from lack of sleep. Nick was willing to give her the benefit of the doubt. He really wanted to go crawl into bed for a few hours.

"We're even," Jonas said with a grin. The Unit members followed Derek into the large sitting room. Again the Precept collapsed into his chair and waited for the others to do the same.

"So," Nick said into the silence that followed. "How did the job go?"

"Jonas and his men had the man responsible in custody all ready. He had a grudge against the senator and didn't care who got hurt in the process. The man, Jeff was his name, had learned enough about the Dark Arts to summon the demons where he wanted them but not enough to control them properly," Derek said. As he spoke his eyes kept trying to slide shut. Whether he wanted to admit it or not, Derek Rayne was no longer a young man.

"Alex and I interviewed him. Neither of us got the sense that he was hiding anything. I think Jonas had spoken to him before our arrival. At least Jeff seemed especially afraid of him." Derek glanced at the taller man to confirmation. Jonas simply looked back. He wasn't going to admit or deny anything. Not getting a response, Derek chose to continue. "Very quickly we realized that Jeff was a novice and had gotten lucky. I don't think we have anything to fear from that quarter."

"You're positive?" Nick had to ask. Derek nodded his head in the affirmative. "Where is Alex, by the way?"

"She was staying an extra day just to make sure. I decided to return when I realized the phone lines were down and you weren't answering your cell phones. I knew some of the Legacy members were suspicious of Sam and Dean but I never considered that they'd have the audacity to attack the island," Derek stated.

"Yeah, well, I think they'll reconsider their options after tonight," Nick said. He glanced at the Unit members lounging around the room. Nick knew the type from his own time in the military but even he could see that extra hardened edge about the men. The last thing he would want to do was try to take any of them down in hand to hand combat. "Thanks for having our backs."

"Quite honestly, I'm hoping this is the last time I have anything to do with you and your world. Our world is scary enough when all we have to deal with are people. I don't ever want to have to add demons, ghosts and ghouls to our list of enemies again," Jonas admitted as he shared a look with his men. All of them were having a little more trouble sleeping now that they were aware of the things that went bump in the night.

"I second that," Bob said from his position on the couch. If he never had to deal with this again it would be too damned soon.

"Well, the chopper pilot is waiting for us. Now that your home is secure again, we will take our leave. We have your phone number, Mr. Rayne, if we ever come across this type of situation again. Until then, keep safe," Jonas said as he regained his feet. The pilot wasn't really in a hurry but the Unit leader was ready to wash his hands of this whole thing. He was eager to go back to the way things were before their search for the senator.

"Well, thank you again," Derek said as he forced his tired and aching body out of the chair. Silently, the four Unit members left the room by the French doors. Derek wasn't especially surprised when they left without a backward glance.

"Those are the men you found out in the field?" Rachel asked. It was the first time she'd found her voice. She had spent most of her time making observations of the newcomers. They had several similarities with Nick that were undeniable. She was just happy that Nick and the others were on their side.

"That would be our housemates, yes," Nick stated a half smile on his face.

"Everything starts to make sense," Rachel teased. "I'm exhausted. I'm going to head upstairs for a nap. I'll help clean this mess later."

"I think naps are definitely the next order of business," Derek agreed. A little slower than usual, the three Legacy members climbed the stairs and headed for their individual rooms.

OOOOO

Dean woke up slowly. He was immediately aware of just how badly bruised his body was. The pain was minor compared to some of the things the elder Winchester had survived in his life time but where the claw marks had been reopened itched and burned incessantly. As much as he hated to, Dean knew he was going to have to let Rachel look at them again to make sure they weren't becoming infected or something. Blinking sleep from his green/blue eyes, Dean was slightly disconcerted to realize that sunlight was filtering through the thick velvet curtains. Hadn't it been dark when they'd lain down? For the life of him, he couldn't remember. Dean rubbed his hands over his face and then turned in the bed to look at his brother.

Even in the dim light Dean could see that Sam's complexion was still fairly pale. As he watched, Sam's eyes moved around under his eyelids. A small groan escaped from his partly open lips. Whatever Sammy was dreaming about wasn't good. Tentatively, Dean placed his hand on Sam's left shoulder and gently shook it. "It's okay, Sam. We're safe," he said quietly, trying to reassure him.

For the first time in a lot of years, Dean realized that the last statement was true. They were safe. He wasn't solely responsible for Sammy's welfare or his own. That was a truly wild thought. He wasn't entirely sure he liked it. He wasn't entirely sure he didn't. Before he had a chance to continue that line of thought, Sam came awake with a start. He sat bolt upright in the bed and looked around wildly.

"Hey, hey, take it easy!" Dean said as he laid a hand on Sam's shoulder, trying to calm his baby brother down.

"Dean?" Sam said, his voice trembling slightly as he continued to scan the room with frightened eyes.

"Yeah, I'm here. We're okay, the attackers are gone," Dean assured him. He forced Sam to look at him, trying to make him absorb some of his calmness.

"Is it true?" Sam asked, looking desperately into his brother's eyes. He half hoped, half feared that it was real. That his demon blood was gone. His body had started to shake but he didn't think he was cold.

"Rachel was supposed to run another test on your blood, make sure it's gone," Dean said. He could see the fear in Sam's dark gray eyes. This could completely change their lives. Dean wasn't entirely sure it was for the better. Would Sam's powers disappear now that the blood was gone?

"Is it?" Sam persisted. He couldn't seem to force any more words through his lips. It was as it his entire body had gone numb.

"I don't know, dude. I've been asleep since we got back here. I'm not even sure what time it is," Dean admitted. As he watched, some of the fear began to ebb and Sam stopped trembling slightly. Absently, Sam pushed the blankets off and swung his legs over the side of the bed. His back was now towards his brother. He ran his hand through his too long brown hair.

"I'm hungry," Sam stated suddenly. It had just dawned on him that he was incredibly thirsty and hungry.

"So am I. Let's go raid the refrigerator," Dean suggested. If they'd asked the butler would probably make them something to eat but it was more fun to do it themselves.

OOOOO

As expected, the fridge was well stocked. Dean was relieved to see that they even had beer on hand. He pulled out anything that looked interesting and handed it to Sam. The younger Winchester accepted the items and began to prepare sandwiches for both of them. If he wasn't so damned hungry, he would have taken the time to cook a proper meal. At least it wasn't a microwaved burrito, he figured.

The last thing Dean did was grab two of the foreign beers and put them on the counter. He then spent nearly five minutes trying to find something to take the caps off with. By the time he was done, Sam had finished with the food. "Finally," Dean breathed as he popped the tops off.

Assuming their positions from breakfast, the brothers ate in silence. Sam finished his beer first and then went to the sink to get a glass of water, which he downed in a few gulps. Sam refilled the glass and returned to his seat. "Just a little dehydrated, huh?" Dean said his mouth full of sandwich.

"Good afternoon," Nick said as he entered the kitchen. He felt completely different after a few hours sleep and a nice hot shower. Seeing the brothers up and eating only made the day better. "How are you feeling?"

"Has Rachel got the test results yet?" Sam asked looking at the older man as he too began to raid the fridge. It was rude but the thought had been at the forefront of his mind since the younger Winchester had woken up.

"Um, I'm not sure," Nick responded. He'd pulled an apple out of the crisper and turned toward the brothers. "With everything that happened last night she was pretty tired too. I think we all just crashed."

"That's okay," Sam said as he ducked his head and began playing with what was left of his food. He'd lost his appetite.

"She knows how important this is, Sam. She'll give us the results as soon as she has them," Nick tried to reassure him as he took a bite out of the apple. The younger Winchester looked so much younger with this veneer of fear and uncertainty. Nick had an intense need to protect him. From everything.

"Yeah, okay," was all Sam said. He drank down the glass of water and moved to the sink to get another one. He couldn't seem to quench the thirst that was burning through his throat and body.

"Not so much, Sam. You'll just wind up throwing it all up again," Dean admonished him. No matter how much taller Sam was, he would always be the little brother.

Trying to hide his frustration, Sam carefully put the glass in the sink, turned and leaned against it. Unconsciously, his arms wrapped around his stomach as he watched Dean devour the rest of his own food.

"How long are we staying here?" Sam asked. He didn't want to hurt Nick's feelings. He was deeply grateful for everything he and the Legacy had done for them. But the need to get moving had started to gnaw on his nerves. There was a reason the Winchesters moved around so much. It was the way they liked it.

Dean was somewhat taken aback by the question. Up until last night Sam had been in no shape to take anywhere. Even now Dean was certain he was covering up how weak and sick he was. The last thing Sam needed was to be confined inside the Impala traveling at sixty miles an hour. Not the best time to start hurling.

"Another day for sure," Dean hedged.

"Why?" Sam asked. Nick continued to eat his apple, an impartial observer. Well, not entirely impartial but definitely an observer.

"Because I say so," Dean barked. Taking a deep breath, he tried again. "I don't know about you but I'm not feeling quite up to hours in the Impala."

"How's the eye by the way?" Nick slipped in. He could see that the confrontation was beginning to escalate and wanted to nip it in the bud. Besides, he wasn't quite ready to let the brothers leave yet. Nick wanted to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they were up to their previous form before he let them step out that door. Otherwise he wouldn't be able to live with himself.

"Fine," was Dean's initial response. It was automatic, a knee jerk reaction to cover things up. Then he looked a little closer at their newfound friend. All he saw in Nick's light gray eyes was concern. Visibly, Dean deflated. "Sore. Just like my ribs."

"Do we have to worry about the other members coming back to finish the job?" Sam asked. He'd almost forgotten about his brother's injuries. As much as he wanted to get the hell out of Dodge, logically he realized that they were in no shape to be on their own. Bobby's place was a long ways away. Too long.

"No. We've increased security around the perimeter but it's only a precaution. I think Derek's on a conference call with the other Precepts right now," Nick assured them. It had been a fluke that security was as light as it had been the night before, very atypical. A number of the security force had called in sick. Now, of course, Nick connected the dots and realized that they had been poisoned to prevent them from being at work.

"You're sure?" Dean asked as he placed a hand on his sore ribs. It was getting harder to sit on the hard bar stool. He was glad that Sam seemed to have changed his mind about leaving. Neither of them was in any shape to drive, much less sit in the passenger seat.

"Yeah, no one's getting in here tonight. Now, let's see what's for supper," Nick suggested.


	41. Chapter 41

_Hi! This is it. The last chapter. I'm going to miss writing this one but I hope you've appreciated my efforts. The ending is kind of weak but it's not something I have a lot of experience with. Besides the stories I've put on here I think I've finished a total of two of my other stories. That's from the hundreds I've written. Oops._

_Thank you to sammygirl1963, masondixon, and eggylaine for your continued reviews. You certainly made my day every time I got one!! Thank you also to REK222GO for your private messages of support. I know other people reviewed as they could and I greatly appreciate it but these four were the ones that I kept writing for. Thank you for pushing me to finish this._

_I hope you enjoy the last chapter. Please send me your thoughts if there's any way I could improve on it. I'd love to know!_

_Thank you._

_Susanne_

The next morning found the Winchesters feeling more like themselves. The swelling had started to go down in Dean's eye so he could almost see out of it again but his ribs still hurt like hell. Rachel had examined his leg the night before and did what she could for the claw marks. While they still itched, Dean was able to put it out of his mind while he took a nice long shower.

For his part, Sam had slept deeply. His shoulders were still a little uncomfortable but for the most part he felt more like his old self. More like himself since finding out about his demon blood. Lying on the bed he knew Dean was gone, probably taking a shower. They might as well enjoy the full extent of the facilities while they were here. Sam had never used a shower with more than one faucet, it was really quite wild.

Stretching his too tall frame before climbing out of the bed, Sam decided he was going to take a shower too. While he waited for Dean to come back, Sam prowled around the room. It was the first time he'd actually had the chance to do so. The room was larger than most of the motel rooms he and Dean stayed in. It was well appointed, very tasteful. Clearly the Winchesters were in the wrong line of work. Sam chuckled lightly at the thought. Like they'd have it any other way.

"Morning, Sam," Dean said as he came in drying his hair with a too fluffy towel. "How are you feeling?"

"Good. How about you?" Sam replied. Dean had a pair of clean jeans on but no shirt. The angry bruises along his ribs were very obvious against his skin. While Dean tried to hide it, Sam knew from experience that they must hurt like hell. He winced in sympathy when Dean turned his back to him to find a clean shirt.

"Good," was Dean's response. Casually he pulled a t-shirt out of his bag and then slipped it over his head. If Sam hadn't been watching for it he would have missed the slight hitch in Dean's movements. "I met Nick in the hallway. I guess breakfast will be ready in a few minutes."

"More food?" Sam almost groaned. He was still partially stuffed from the meal they'd had last night. If he kept eating like this, Sam was going to put on a significant amount of weight.

"Yeah, apparently the butler is back," Dean responded. "Are you really feeling okay?"|

Instead of throwing out a flippant answer, Sam paused a moment to take stock. "Yeah, I may be a little off my game but not by much."

"Good. I was thinking maybe we should head out after breakfast. As much as Nick insists it's safe here, I'd rather not take the chance," Dean said. His shirt settled into place, Dean quickly put the clothes he had been wearing back in the bag. Sam realized that Dean had all ready packed everything he'd taken out.

"Sounds good to me," Sam responded. "I'm just going to take a shower. Then I'll meet you in the kitchen."

OOOOO

"Are you sure?" Nick and Derek asked almost simultaneously. The Winchesters had walked into the kitchen and announced their intentions while their breakfast was being served. Dean wasn't sure he'd ever get used to that.

"What are you, our father?" Dean growled.

"Sorry. I just wanted to make sure that you're ready," Nick said. Unconsciously he ducked his head in embarrassment.

"That's okay," Sam responded. "And yes, we're sure. We've been your guests for too long. We need to get back on the road and help people."

"Yeah, what he said," Dean muttered as he forked food into his mouth. The sooner they got out of here the better. The last thing Dean wanted was to have this all turn into a chick flick moment.

"By the way, Rachel, have you gotten the test results back?" Sam asked trying to sound casual. He couldn't quite look at the blond lady at the end of the table. He was too afraid of what the answer was going to be.

"Yes, I finished them this morning," Rachel said. "The blood came back negative. The serum worked, you no longer have demon blood in your system." Rachel smiled brilliantly at the last statement.

"Really?" Sam breathed, relief flowing through him. It took nearly all he had to keep from slumping in his seat. In that instant he knew his whole world had changed. His fate was now back in his own hands.

"Yes, really," Rachel said, the smile still brightening her face. She was greatly relieved to find that the serum had worked too. It was part of the reason that Derek was no longer worried about the Legacy trying to take him again. He'd told the other Precepts about the results and upon receiving copies of Rachel's tests had backed off.

"Wow," was all Dean could come up with. He was stunned. The food suddenly tasted like ash. He took a quick gulp of water to get it down. He ran a hand over his mouth as he looked up at the Legacy members surrounding him.

"Do you feel any different?" Nick had to ask. Sam was looking considerably healthier today than he had since Nick had first met him.

"Um, not really," Sam responded.

"Congratulations," Derek stated, holding out his hand for Sam to shake. Thinking nothing of it, Sam put out his own hand and pumped energetically. He was human again, completely, totally human!!

The exchange wasn't lost on Nick though. Carefully he watched Derek's face looking for any indication of what he saw or felt. Before he could really get a read on what was transpiring, Alex walked into the room. "Hi everyone!" she said, a bright smile on her face.

In the general tumult of her return the Winchesters found themselves on an island of quiet and calm among the maelstrom. Sam was still grinning a little stupidly while the implications sank in. Dean was finished his plate of food and was looking at his kid brother.

"What?" Sam asked upon realizing that Dean was staring. He turned to face his older brother, the smile still playing on his lips.

"I think that's our cue to leave," Dean suggested. The Legacy members were busy swapping stories of the last day and a half. They were completely oblivious to the brothers. By the time Rachel got to the part about removing Sam's demon blood and turned to look at the younger brother, they were all ready gone.

It was then that she noticed that Nick had slipped out as well.

OOOOO

"Going somewhere?" Nick asked. The Winchesters had gone to their room to get their bags before heading out to the garage where the Impala was parked. Opening the side door they found Nick leaning against the side of the vehicle, his arms crossed over his chest.

"Yeah," Dean said slightly embarrassed to be caught. "We just didn't want this to be all blown out of proportion."

"I can relate to that," Nick said, a smile playing on his lips. He had all too much in common with Dean. He knew exactly where he was coming from. Standing up, he pulled something out of his pocket. "Here."

Sam and Dean looked at his hand to see a cell phone.

"We both have one of those all ready," Dean stated.

"Yeah, I know. But this is a satellite phone. It should work no matter where you are. Besides, I've put my cell number in it. If you ever need anything, give me a call," Nick said as he handed the cell over to Sam. "Have a safe trip."

Expecting the others to arrive at any time, the brothers loaded their gear up in the trunk. Then they climbed into the familiar seats. Dean was most gratified to hear the roar as he turned the key in the ignition. He'd momentarily thought about letting Sam drive but he just couldn't resist the feel of the engine thrumming through his fingers on the steering wheel. Now this was living.

Nick pushed the button to open the garage door. He followed the Impala out and stood against the door jamb as they did a three point turn before rolling down the driveway in the direction of the ferry. Nick didn't bother to tell them that under normal circumstances they would have spent the next three hours waiting for said ferry to come across. But, since Alex had just brought it across they would be in luck.

OOOOO

"Are they gone?" Derek asked when Nick came back into the kitchen.

"Yeah. Dean'll be made as hell when he finds the credit cards I slipped into the glove box. I'd rather their bills were sent to the Luna Foundation than to some poor schmuck who threw out their credit card application," Nick replied.

"I doubt that he'll use them," Alex said from the table. She hadn't bothered to stop on her way home for food and was enjoying the fair left over from breakfast.

"Well, he might. By the way, what did you see?" Nick asked, turning his attention to his boss and mentor. Derek was standing by the fridge trying to be unobtrusive.

"Even with the demon blood gone their lives aren't going to be easy," Derek replied cryptically.

"I don't think they'd have it any other way," Rachel stated from her seat beside Alex. Nodding in agreement, the Legacy members set out in multiple directions, intent on getting things back to normal. Well, as normal as things ever were for them.

THE END

_AN: The thought of doing a sequel keeps playing through my head. What do you think? Should I try it? Please let me know._


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